Monsters and Ninjas
by Kurai Tora
Summary: Creatures known as monsters once roamed the lands, only for the Rikudō Sennin seal them behind an impenetrable wall. They were forgotten and turned into mere myths. But now the seal was broken and they will return. The spouses of the Bijū will seek their jinchūriki and the monsters will clash with ninjas. Has Touhou and Monster Girl Encyclopedia content.
1. Prologue

**Oh well, what can I say...? Crossover of Naruto and Monster Girl Encyclopedia. But be warned, I won't make harems and there will be male versions of many species. To the prologue!**

* * *

What happens when you catch the eye of a goddess? One that got annoyed at your LOLHAX status and dickheadedness? NOTHING GOOD. Kami had been browsing through the many universes she held. Sometimes zooming in certain planets, only to spot a certain moment in a specific world. "Oho... time to make a little test~"

Kaguya tasted the boredom of the deity on her flesh and soul. Just when her sons were about to seal her away Kami had frozen time and grabbed the woman. She then tore off every last wisp of chakra and whatever else granted her powers. The Ōtsutsuki soul got shoved within the bowels of the Shinigami after she finished. The deity forever changed Ninja History on a whim.

Hagoromo and Hamura had no idea that they wasted efforts in the sealing. Both got hit with an illusion that made them see what they expected from the sealing. After recovering their energies the brothers went in separate ways. Neither knowing of what the future reserved for them.

Kami was trying to figure what to do with the massive amount of chakra on her hands. She went through several candidates in her mind until she came to a decision. "Well, just let me take this world..." It was a different version of a certain planet populated by monsters. There were handsome males along with the sexy female creatures. "Yep, a Ryū is right for what I want." Kami took a lonely egg and pushed the chakra inside. She took care to stabilize the clashing energies within and hoped it wouldn't bite her square on the ass.

She set it in the first world after she finished. Right when she was going to put each planet in their respective places... "Ah-a-tchooey!" ... "Uh oh..." She mashed them together in an irreversible way. "Hwaa... What should I do?" Time to wing it, lest her fun got spoiled beyond repair.

The Elemental Nations and its surrounding lands were all placed on one side of the planet. While on the other side was the Monster nation. It composed of two continents surrounded by archipelagoes. Two oceans separated the worlds both on the western and eastern sides.

* * *

Hagoromo had used his powers to create the nine Bijū. But the tradeoff was that his lifespan got cut to a fraction. Taking some animals he had seen in his lifetime, he gave shape to the future targets of greed for power. Each beast embodied events considered dangerous by humans, such as typhoons and earthquakes.

Hagoromo had sensed a large reading of lifeforce beyond the sea, a fact that piqued his curiosity. He left a return seal on an island, having asked his sons Isobu and Gyūki to carry him to the new land. The trip was long and tiresome, but father and child held on, rewarded by the sight of people with fish tails for legs. "Oh heavens, what is this?" Hagoromo was skeptical, while the two beasts wished to know this new location better.

The new continent housed creatures that would be seen as monsters, but they were as intelligent as humans and had their own sense of morals. They had a variant of chakra that was tinted red, much like the tailed Bijū, and a higher affinity to nature chakra. Hagoromo wondered how this fact could affect regular humans.

Hagoromo set up a return seal at a tall rock formation, linking it to the seal he left behind, creating a gateway between the two worlds. Then he made several more gateways across both continents for convenience. The Ōtsutsuki introduced them to his side, hoping for the best outcome.

* * *

The Ōtsutsuki brothers had seen the new races overwhelm the human population. Several races converted humans into new monsters for their ranks. Hagoromo feared that humans could get wiped out from the world if he didn't take the due measures. To make things worse, the Bijū had taken a deep liking to them, picking mates from races they felt attracted to.

Hamura had been much more accepting of these foreigners. He had even married a Yuki-onna after his human wife died in childbirth. He also trained many creatures that sought for his guidance. Still, some of his children and descendants were in the purely human side. They were against the integration along with his older brother.

Hamura had tried to dissuade his brother from taking such an extreme measure. "They are as human as we are, their appearance is the only difference!" But his words were for naught. "We sealed our mother for the sake of mankind, so I must do the same with these creatures." The younger twin shook his head. "And what of your children? All they have partners from these people. Can't we find another way to stop the decline?" He got pinned on the spot by Hagoromo's icy look. "There's no other way, my children must get over them, whether they like it or not."

The Bijū were tasked with wrangling the monsters to their side of the world, not knowing the goal of their father. Hagoromo used the last of his lifeforce to create a barrier that would separate monsters and humans for good. The gateway seal began failing as the twins watched each other through it. "Goodbye... brother." Hamura was disappointed at his older sibling, turning around and leaving behind his "humanity".

Hagoromo saw the Bijū pounding at the barrier, with a sullen expression on his face. They all called for the names of their spouses in distress, not knowing if they could hear. "I'm right here! Please, answer!" Their claws broke, their skin split and their bones cracked with the force they exerted, smearing blood on the invisible barrier. Their howls of anguish made their creator regret his hasty decision.

The burning hatred in Kurama's eyes made Hagoromo flinch, as the fox had never directed it to his person. "Tenko..." The leader of the kitsune, the one who taught Kurama more about himself. "He was more like a father to me than you! Even uncle Hamura knew better about how to treat family!" His golden eyes changed to a scarlet hue. "My wife... I won't see her because of you..."

Kurama faced the man and his lips rose in a snarl. "I'm not a Ōtsutsuki anymore! From now onwards my name is Inari Kurama!" He and his siblings turned around, abandoning their creator, not caring as he fell to his knees and faced his incoming death. They all decided to take the surname of their monster clans, not wanting to acknowledge their relation to Hagoromo even in name, taking separate ways and avoiding humans to grieve in peace.

* * *

 **Long ass fast forward past all that shit until right before the Naruto series starts.**

 **P.s.: There will be some changes. ;)**


	2. Chapter 1

A kitsune and an ryū were enjoying their time together in peace, both basking in each other's soothing presence. For them just being together was bliss, but it wasn't to last. Hagoromo's barrier had separated them, leaving them heartbroken. Kurama had attempted many things to break it along with his siblings, even to the point of attacking it with the Bijūdama. Yet the barrier held strong as if mocking them. They cursed their creator from the depths of their hearts, having tasted happiness only to have it torn off from them abruptly.

* * *

Red eyes opened to an endless void that went well beyond the flare of the torches, a lone tear running down to meet stone. _"Are you still waiting for me?"_ Clawed hands tested the chains restraining the limbs by the umpteenth time. Kurama heaved a deep sigh, his wife had received his heart, her absence left him hollow. _"Hagoromo... why did you put up that damn seal?"_ At the very least, the Rikudō could have left him and his siblings with the monsters. _"But who's the true monster...?"_ The monsters could have been a chaotic existence, but mankind was greedy and twisted.

His large ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming in his direction. The stone he was impaled on moved slowly until he faced down to a human female. **"Greetings to my jailor."** He bit back a grunt of pain as the stakes embedded in his flesh thickened and the chains tightened. "I didn't come here to hear sarcasm." Purple eyes glared at him. **"Fine, what do you want?"** Kushina glanced over the contraption holding the Kyūbi, ascertaining that everything worked. "I will need to use your chakra, so hand it over without fuss when I ask for it."

A loud snort could be heard. **"As if I had a choice."** His fangs gleamed under the glow of the fire. **"Do as you wish, I would rather be left with my memories."** She let out a snarky laugh. "Keep distracting yourself with your past kills because I won't ever let you repeat them." The chains rattled and the stakes groaned as he rolled the stone to face her closely. **"Have you ever wondered if us** **Bijū have people important to us?"** At her lack of response, he rolled the stone back. **"Of course not... To you lot, my kin is just another source of power."**

Kushina fought to control her breathing, having honestly felt fear when the Kyūbi got so close to her. "You lie, monsters like you are unable to love." Red eyes pinned her to the spot, a hidden fury brewing within. **"Are we? Then how would we be able to hate? Unlike** **your idealistic vision, hate depends on love to have a definition. Both are sides to the same coin."** His eyes became steely. **"Likewise, happiness depends on sadness to be cherished."** The Kyūbi turned his expression blank. **"Go, I tire of your presence."**

* * *

Once his jailor was gone, his face contorted in sadness. _"I miss you..."_ Just by closing his eyes he could picture her smile. His claws still remembered the feel of her scales. Her scent was branded in his mind. _"I... want... death..."_ He had lived long enough without her. His mind was frayed, even his brother Shukaku was borderline insane the last time they met. Kurama opened his eyes again and saw himself in an ocean of red spider lilies. _"The flower of death..."_ Maybe wishes did become reality, even one as morbid as his.

He followed a beaten trail until a riverside where a lone boat awaited him, with a woman standing beside it. **"Are you a shinigami?"** Eerie crimson eyes examined him. "It was about time one of you came by. I'll make this one trip for free." He noticed that his own body shrunk to the size of a horse. "Get on, the Enma awaits on the other side." He climbed on the boat, surprised at its sturdiness despite looking like a simple dinghy. "I can sense your regrets. The trip is long and boring. If you want I will listen to your story."

He had a question. **"What about my body?"** The shinigami thought for a moment. "Your old self is currently a soulless husk." She rowed a few times before continuing. "A lump of instincts and stagnant chakra waiting to be spent." He mulled over this fact. "Your soul and core were the only things to cross over this land." He hoped that it would provide a distraction for the humans once he was back to the living world. For now, he would enjoy the peace, even if he ended up in hell to serve his sentence.

* * *

Kurama had honestly expected the Enma to look frightening, but before he stood a greenhead male in black clothing. "Your life and of your kin was full of suffering, all because of a single man." The man held a kind of mirror and watched it intently. "Usually I would send you to receive your judgment, but I will let you and her go through a rebirth. Try to live better this time." The fox turned his head sharply, catching sight of someone he would never forget, his wife. She was also looking at him, surprise filling that lovely face.

The Enma watched the star-crossed lovers interact, giving time to them. **"I'm sorry for abandoning you!"** She was wiping his tears, unable to hold hers as well. "You aren't the one to blame." They shared a tight hug. **"I missed you..."** Their eyes met and both could see the love their half held within. "I also missed you... so much..." A cough from the greenhead indicated that the time was up. "Let's meet again... Kurama." She smiled at him. **"We will... Hinata."** They separated reluctantly, hoping wholeheartedly that they would meet soon.

* * *

In a distant land stood a forgotten rock arch. "How curious, these readings accuse something powerful." A group of witches and mages were examining it, registering every engraving they could find. "The other groups found similar ones all over the continent." A blonde witch was snickering with glee, hands-on research had always interested her. "If the elders are to be believed, these gates will transport us beyond the sea." The sea folk had already departed to explore the unknown lands, having the advantage on the ocean.

A tanuki was looking over the expenses directed to the research of the gates, calculating ways to maximize efficiency with minimal cost. A bell rang and he looked up to his superior, who looked annoyed. "How long will you take with the accounting?" He sweated at the accusing glare, every second had value. "Didn't I tell you that the expenses aren't to be spared in this project?" She took off the pince-nez and cleaned it, her ear twitching in anger. "B-but-" She punched the table. "I and the others are using our own treasury to pay for it. We want results, not penny-pinching."

One of the nine strongest monsters, an ryū, had taken down the barrier at the cost of her life, unable to keep living without her husband. The remaining seven had decided to encourage restoring the gates, harnessing the thirst for knowledge of the scholars, desiring an easy mean to get to the Elemental Nations. One had already gone through the ocean, being the wife of the Sanbi. They still yearned for their spouses, holding this desire across rebirths, keeping aflame an undying love. They wouldn't wait anymore.

* * *

 **If you want to know the monsters mentioned, go to mgewiki, but be warned that its NSFW. In other words, it contains monster girl porn.**


	3. Chapter 2

Kushina hadn't returned to meet Kyūbi in his seal since their last confrontation, too afraid of the beast. Besides that, she had to focus on her own health now, as she was carrying the child of Minato. The couple had decided to use the name from Jiraiya's first novel, Naruto, having assigned the sennin to be the godfather. "I hope you're born healthy, Naruto." She caressed her slightly protruding abdomen, trying to picture the child. _"Will you have mommy or daddy's hair?"_ She had worried over the seal, knowing that it would weaken during childbirth.

Mikoto had told her about how having a child could be both tiring and rewarding. Kushina wondered if she would be a good mother. _"Mommy won't let anyone hurt you, Naruto."_ She felt a light kick as if her child was replying to her. "Of course you will be strong, you're Minato's and my son." She had thought she would have only one child, yet the last check-up revealed the presence of a second child. "Isn't that great? Our family is growing fast!" Minato had been ecstatic at the news.

* * *

Kushina had already pushed out a baby, but there was one more to go. The seal was reacting wildly and the sealing team was exerting massive efforts to keep it under control. The Uzumaki was panting harshly between screams, the ordeal was taxing on her body. Right when the second child was born, everything went wrong. The ANBU and midwives were murdered by a masked stranger, and Kushina got taken away with the newest born child. Minato had tracked them to a location right outside the walls, watching as the seal was forcefully torn open.

The Kyūbi roared in rage, lashing out at the village and setting off a wave of panic. The high-level shinobi gave a valiant effort in repelling the monster, while the lower ranked were tasked with evacuating civilians. In the meanwhile Minato was fighting the culprit, getting frustrated as his attacks made no effect until he managed to break the mask. "Obito‽" The Uchiha departed in a vortex, leaving the Namikaze dumbfounded. But the blond snapped out of it, he had more pressing questions. Namely, the giant fox razing his village.

Before the Shinigami took Minato's soul, Hiruzen put himself before the apparition. "Brat, you must live. This old monkey left the village on your hands, don't throw your life so easily." The Kyūbi faded away while howling in pain, letting Minato and Kushina fall to the ground with gaping wounds on their stomachs. "Minato... take care of our sons..." The blond hugged his wife. "I will if I survive..." She glared at him. "You will survive... or else I'll torture you myself... in hell..." He let out a single laugh. "Goodbye..."

Minato was laying on his back, a pool of blood surrounding him. He wondered how a day that was supposed to be full of happiness had gone to hell so fast. Kushina had died from having Kyūbi forcefully extracted and Hiruzen had given his life to seal the mass of chakra in Minato's child. He faintly heard the cries of an infant, that cut his heart further. _"I'm sorry Naruto, I let your mother die..."_ Then he recalled that Kushina was supposed to birth twins. _"Oh no... where's the other?"_ Medics came into his sights along with Kakashi. "Sensei!" The silver-haired teen was in distress but noticed that Minato wanted him closer.

"At the Hokage monument..." Minato was relaying his disciple the way to the secret place where the birthing took place. "Please, hurry..." The medics had sedated the blond and took him away for treatment along with the infant. Kakashi dashed to the indicated place, finding it completely dark. His ears were focused, trying to pick faint breathing or crying. _"Come on, make some noise."_ He tried to find a light source, only to feel a tug to his shirt when he stood close to a table. He felt the body of a baby and gingerly picked it up, cradling the child against his body.

* * *

Minato grunted as he got up from the cot, turning to see his sons. Red and blond hair peeked from the twin bundles on Kakashi's arms. "Which names will you give them, Minato-sensei?" The older male moved the cloth off their faces, noticing that the blond had three thin lines on his cheeks, while his twin had thicker reddish streaks with fine hair covering them, akin to cat fur. _"The Kyūbi must be the cause."_ The Namikaze ran his fingers on their hair. "The blond is Naruto, the redhead will be Menma." Kakashi had a strange expression. "Kushina-san would like these names." The stranger had only taken Naruto that night, so he was the only one to bear the seal.

The boys were protected jealously by Minato during their first months, as his paranoia had skyrocketed since the day of their birth. ANBU constantly watched over them and the Hokage's most trusted ninjas were tasked with babysitting. "Hokage-sama, this is mismanagement of resources-" The blond slammed a hand on his table to silence Shikaku. His eyes were of a man haunted by his own mind. "Do I have to remind you of what happened that night?" The Namikaze glared at the Nara. "My sons are still unable to fend for themselves."

Shikaku gulped at the rage still simmering in those blue eyes. "Still, I'm sure that you could take some of the extra security and direct them to the village." Minato had a sour expression. "Tradition made it so that jinchūrikis are close to the Kage. The one who holds the Ichibi is the son of the Kazekage, so our enemies will deduce the same about us." Both Naruto and Menma held signals of the Kyūbi on their faces, even if the blond twin was the only one holding the monster. "If you say so..." Shikaku didn't want to keep this argument going, dropping the issue.

* * *

"Who wants to test the gate?" After a few years of tinkering with the seals and adjusting the proper chakra output the gateway was active, but nobody wanted to act as a guineapig. "Anyone? We need to see if it works." Everybody took a step back when the leader glanced at them, shaking their heads vigorously. "You're a bunch of sissies!" A blonde witch pushed and shoved her way to the front, taking her place before the gate. "Pay attention to me." The chief had wide eyes. "Wait, Mari-" She put her hand through it. "Um... eh?"

A shrill scream made the braver ones try to rescue her and the cowardly ones wince, only for it to turn into raucous laughter. "Wahaha! You HAD to see your own faces!" She pulled back her arm without issues nor injuries. "Marisa." She turned to her boss, who had a stiff expression about to give way to rage. "What have I told you about pranks?" She gulped dryly, that tone promised pain. "Um... Bye!" She attempted to flee, only to run on a demon familiar, one with an iron grip. "Good girl, I shall reward you later." Marisa identified the thick book as one about torture methods. "Help...?"

The mages found a slight problem with the gate, it was one-way only when you finished crossing it. The bunny they had forced to cross the gate while tied to a rope couldn't be retrieved, it was hitting a kind of wall that prevented returns. "Any volunteers?" Some mages and witches had offered themselves while others were forcefully picked, they would be tasked with the completion of the gate repair. "Because we know not what awaits on the other side, we shall send reinforcements for your safety." They would be safe if they could keep a distance from danger, having ranged attacks, but they needed close quarters combatants.

But some of the ones who had called for the repairs cared not if the return was disabled, for now, having crossed over through the gates closer to them. They had waited long enough. "Give way!" An ushi-oni almost trampled over some unlucky scholars in her haste, desiring to find Gyūki as soon as possible. "What a brute, I pity whoever stands on her path." She was a veritable juggernaut, having super regeneration and strength boosted by the fact she was the wife of a Bijū. Similar effects occurred on the others, but it was less noticeable on those who were already from formidable races.

* * *

A blonde kunoichi from Kumo reacted sharply at an unnatural sound. It was coming from behind her. _"Enemy?"_ She pulled out a kunai and turned around sharply. "... eh?" A large cat, with the size of a labrador dog, was staring at her. "Nyaow~" It was a gorgeous specimen, bearing white and red stripes patterned like a tiger. "Come here." Yugito had a soft spot for felines, crouching so her eyes were level with the cats. "Mrrweow?" Those eyes were a mesmerizing tone of emerald. The strange cat walked to the girl, letting her pet its fur. "Can I take you with me?" As if it had understood her words, the cat put its paws on her arms, climbing on her legs. "Oof- you're heavy!" It mewled in a tone that sounded apologetic.

A brunette woman clad with a dark green kimono looked down at a village surrounded by walls. She adjusted the pince-nez on her nose, a slight smirk tilted her lips upwards. _"I found you, Shukaku."_ A Suna patrol went past her, ignoring her presence thanks to her illusion. _"Tsk, tsk... the humans here are so untrained..."_ If these guards were part of the stronger portion of the shinobi, it would be disappointing. She jumped away, planning to infiltrate as a merchant. _"How many will fall for these exotic products?"_ The gate guards didn't suspect her in the slightest, seeing her as a simple peddler after clientele. She walked the streets, searching for a good place to set her stall. "Oh?" She saw a boy with red hair sitting alone at a park.

* * *

 **Sorry for cutting some scenes, after I watch the anime I'll develop them. For a brief time reference, the skip is 6 years after the birth scene. Hmm... I have set the Bijū+monster pairings:  
**

 **Shukaku-Gyoubu Danuki, Matatabi-Jinko, Isobu-Otohime, Son Gokū-Kakuen, Kokuō-Hakutaku, Saiken-Giant Slug, Chōmei-Mantis, Gyūki-Ushi Oni, Kurama-Ryū.**

 **P. s.: There are references to other media, can you pick them up?**


	4. Chapter 3

The tanuki sensed her husband inside the boy and frowned. _"That man claimed he had the Jūbi inside him..."_ It seemed that the humans had decided to emulate that claim with the Bijū. She tailed the child after putting up an illusion so nobody saw her. Every villager feared the boy, to the point they would give a wide berth. Even the other children did the same, imitating the terror the adults felt. _"If it's like this with him..."_ The host of a Bijū held a heavy stigma. Then she saw the child retreat into an alley, soft cries came from it moments later. _"It will be better for both to just take them away."_ She found him hiding behind a trash can. _  
_

The Ichibi jinchūriki heard someone walk to him and looked up to brown eyes. "Hello, why are you alone?" Gaara looked away. "Nobody wants to play with me." She crouched before him, holding a leaf. "Want to see something interesting?" She covered the leaf with both hands, making the boy curious. Her hands parted to reveal a butterfly, that fluttered away. "Oh, cool!" She smiled at the innocent awe of the child. He wanted to see more but was afraid to ask. "I am Mamizou. What's your name?" He lowered his guard slightly, this woman was nicer than many adults. "Gaara."

Woman and child established a friendly rapport, and when she found a place to set up her stall, the boy would visit her every day. People looked at her as if she was mad, but she just smiled at the frowns. And her products, that ranged from exotic fruits to aphrodisiacs and jewelry, were too tempting to pass up. Gaara could eat the fruits for free, and when he asked the reason Mamizou justified it by claiming he was similar to a nephew. She would also tell him of legends involving mythical creatures, painting wild scenarios for him. But she could feel the glare of hidden ninja, watching every move. _"When will they act?"_

* * *

When Gaara finally felt enough trust on the woman, the boy had confessed to Mamizou that she was the first one to approach him with kindness besides Yashamaru. It made her feel anger at the village for mistreating him. _"Should I cash in that favor?"_ He also told her that for some reason he had sand always around him, protecting him from harm and that killed other people from time to time. "But it stopped killing when I met you." She silently scolded Shukaku, knowing that he must have hijacked the sand control. _"What he controls is metal, not dirt nor sand."_ Then he stepped closer than before, hugging her legs. "Gaara-kun?" He was trembling and sobbing softly. "It's warm... different from sand..." She broke her composure and picked him up, hugging him back.

One night Mamizou felt an ill omen, leading her to go after Gaara. _"You better be safe, brat!"_ She saw when this man attempted to murder Gaara, arriving in time to grab his arm. "Who are you‽" The male struggled to loosen her grip, she held a steely gaze. _"To try to hurt a child..."_ She twisted every joint in the arm she had grabbed, making the man cry out in pain. Her claws came out and shredded the skin, eliciting more screams. Her human illusion fell off, revealing bristled animal ears and a long bushy tail, as she proceeded to beat him up. "Daring to do such disgraced acts!" Gaara felt that he should be afraid of her, but he wasn't. Mamizou pulled off the mask and the boy reacted. "Ji-san!"

Yashamaru claimed that he had always hated Gaara, telling him that his mother loathed him. Mamizou could smell the bullshit, but the boy was cracking apart inside. "Hey, I'm here, aren't I?" She held Gaara tightly and knew that if he lost control things would end in shit. She stomped on Yashamaru's neck, killing him with a crushed windpipe. Turning towards where the gate back to her land was located, she made a decision. If the village wanted to be rid of the boy, she would gladly help them. "Come with me, I will take you to a place where nobody hates you." Gaara just clutched her kimono and hid his face on her chest.

Some time in their journey, Mamizou felt wetness on her clothes and the smell of iron. Looking down at Gaara, her eyes widened. _"Why did you do this‽"_ The boy had used sand to carve 愛 on his own forehead. She found a cave and put on a coat from her bag, wrapping the sleeves around the boy and letting him sleep on her. She ran her fingers through his hair, not minding the blood. "Don't fear, even if the world ends up hating you, I will never leave your side." She only hoped that Shukaku would cooperate with her. _"He can be a stubborn little shit sometimes."_

* * *

Hinata had been sleeping peacefully until she felt rough hands grab at her arms, making her feel distressed. A cloth soaked with sleeping agents was pressed to her face and kept there until she stilled. "Heh, this will be easy." He was a fake member of the ambassador party tasked with obtaining a Hyūga sample that could be manipulated. He silently left the compound while adjusting the bag on his back, searching for possible guard patrols. When he was sure the coast was clear, he dashed directly to the walls.

The shinobi noticed an eerie glow coming from his back and got worried. _"Is the girl using some weird jutsu?"_ He stopped briefly to check in the bag and she was still asleep, seeing the mark of a magatama that formed on the junction of her collarbones. _"Hm... this thing is strange, but I don't sense danger."_ He closed the bag, slung it over his shoulder and resumed running away from the village. When he had just gone past the walls he felt a strange pressure on his body. It sent him in a state of alert as if he had a dangerous foe before him.

He stopped again at a clearing, looking around until he spotted something. "What's that thing‽" An ryū made of red chakra had walked to him, holding an aura of rage. Those piercing amethyst eyes promised pain. The man left the bag on the ground, the goods couldn't get damaged, and took out a tantō. "I don't know who summoned you, but I'll finish my mission!" He dashed at the monster, intent on cutting off its head, only for the blade to rebound from the scales. The animal just looked at him, as if daring him to attack again. He covered the metal with Raiton and aimed for the throat, where the scales seemed to be thinner. "Die!"

The creature swiped at his right before he could connect, sending him headfirst into a tree, toppling it. "Argh-!" It bit his leg and threw him up a few times, injuring his body further. Then it bit his shirt and went to the thickest tree, sprouting a spine from its tail and using it to impale his forearms to the bark. After the ethereal dragon was done with the man, it picked the girl and walked away. It left a trail of glowing footprints that would baffle the incoming Konoha shinobi.

Hitomi was beside herself with worry, wondering how her daughter was. Then the clan members who stayed to support her saw a light in the distance, activating their byakugan to see better. Most entered in panic, as it was caused by red chakra, and fled. But Hitomi stood her ground, feeling that it was familiar. An ryū walked in her direction, holding her daughter on its back. "Hinata!" She rushed to get the child while the dragon just waited. "T-thank you..." She couldn't stop the tears of relief and received a snout bump to the shoulder. "It's the second time you helped us, right?" This presence was the same she felt when she almost died after birthing Hanabi. Those eyes were a vibrant purple that held warmth. "I'm really grateful to you."

* * *

The Konoha ninja who had been chasing the kidnapper found him. "Um... how did he end up there?" He was pinned to a tree with red bone-like stakes and had his body covered with strange burns and there were bite marks all over him. "Urgh..." The ninjas who were examining the area turned to the ex-kidnapper. "He's still alive!" They made an effort to remove the stakes, but they were longer than expected and too much like porcupine quills. They had to cut the tree down and cart him to the hospital to see if they could be removed safely.

Minato was rubbing his forehead. _"If that creature hadn't neutralized that man..."_ Hiashi had been in a murderous mood until Hinata got found safe at home and the man was at the hospital. If the Hyūga had found the kidnapper before everyone, he would have killed him and Kumo would have demanded retribution. Then he thought about the description of the beast. _"Body made of red chakra..."_ It usually meant a Bijū, but each and every one of them was sealed. _"What could be the source? And why did it help us?"_ And the analysis of the stakes revealed that they were bones. _"If I recall correctly, there was a Kiri clan with bone jutsu..."_ He groaned in defeat, this matter gave him headaches.

A small toad appeared before the Hokage in a plume of smoke. "Tell Jiraya he can enter." The amphibian disappeared and a man with long white hair entered from the window moments later. "Minato." The blond nodded. "Sensei." The Gama Sennin had a grave face. "There are new variables now." Jiraiya put a few photos on the desk. "Are these..." They looked like they belonged in a book about myths. "People with snake bodies... Is that one a werewolf?" Minato recalled the earlier incident. "Oh, gods..."

The older male patted the back of his ex-pupil. "We have to think of ways to deal with them. Maybe some are willing to make a pact." Jiraiya informed Minato that he had seen some of the creatures with his own eyes. "If we manage to get some on our side, it would be a boost we need." The Kyūbi incident had led to the loss of many strong ninjas and an alliance with these monsters with great potential could help with their defenses. The Hokage was torn, the interest of the village and the will of the villagers could clash badly. "I'll think about that."

* * *

 **I moved forward the Kumo incident three years ahead. Next are the twins, Naruto and Menma. Any questions you have, put it in a review or PM.  
**

 **Brief edit: Hinata's magatama mark is from birth like the twins' face marks.**


	5. Chapter 4

Naruto was a six years old boy who stared at his brother Menma, who was by the window. They were so different, despite being twins. Red and blond hair, both spiky, but Menma's was less so. Golden and blue eyes, one so like their father and the other so different. Apparently, their mother had purple eyes, so the golden eyes were unnatural, making Minato feel less of a bond with the boy. Both held facial marks, but Naruto's could pass by simple birthmarks, while Menma's made people wonder about Kyūbi's influence on him. The redhead was treated like a stranger by his own father while the blond was coddled by the man.

 _"_ _Why is he so cold to him?"_ The blond boy knew not of the reason their father doted so much on him while forgetting the redhead. It was bad enough for the blond to get resentment from his twin. _"It's your fault, dad..."_ Menma was the older twin and it seemed that Minato wanted him to become a shinobi as soon as possible and turn independent, having even enrolled him in the Academy before Naruto. Clearly, the boys had noticed the distance being forcefully wedged between them. And neither were happy with it, but they couldn't face the Hokage yet. Naruto watched as his twin was reading a book about legendary creatures. The blond thought them stupid, which earned him a shiner when he voiced out this opinion to Menma.

Distracted and not really reading, Menma recalled the first time he and Naruto could go out in the village as normal children. It was last year, right after the snow began falling. They had only some ANBU in the distance, looking over them occasionally. They had gone to a park and played to their heart's content, not minding there were no other children around, having grown mostly isolated. Then Menma heard a ruckus coming from the woods, deciding to investigate while Naruto was distracted. What he saw made his blood boil, an unknown rage flared within. **_"Nobody touches my wife!"_** He didn't even register the unnatural voice in his mind.

A group of older boys was harassing a girl, demeaning her eyes and clan. Her cries were like knives to his heart, something urged him to make the bullies pay for this crime. He acted on instinct, lunging forward while they were distracted and biting on the ear of the one who seemed to be the leader, a stocky brunet boy. The screams he heard were like a song to him, and he came close to ripping off the ear of the bully. He got shaken off, but he went to the closest target, punching and kneeing his face. When he gave a few blows, he backed off and went to stand between the bullies and the girl, daring them to attack.

They ran away and Menma cleaned the blood in his mouth, spitting on the snow. "Thanks..." He turned to face the girl and his heart felt like it flipped. Menma was sure he had never met the Hyūga before, yet he felt a tug at his soul towards the girl and an urge to protect her. "It was nothing..." They got in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's presence. "Hinata-sama!/Menma!" Her bodyguard and his twin intruded in the intimate moment, dragging them apart against their will. "Let's meet again," she mouthed quietly. "We will," he replied in the same way.

* * *

Back in her clan compound, Hinata thought about that day as well. She had never met the redhead until then, but she felt she knew him from long ago and desired to spend more time by his side. Sadly, both were unable to meet even in the Academy, as both were in different years and got forced into training regimens by their families. And with her almost kidnapping recently, it would be a while until she could go out freely. She looked at a mirror, noticing the mark that had appeared close to her neck. The magatama outline was like a tattoo, but when she touched it she could swear there was a feeling like touching polished stone.

Then there was the strange feeling she had within her as if there was something missing from her body that she couldn't remember. She would sometimes look back as if expecting to see a tail trailing behind her. And there were brief flashes of memories when she went to sleep. White snakes, a pair of tanuki, a cat with a flaming body, mesmerizing golden eyes. They didn't make sense, but they also brought up nostalgia. _"Who are they? Who they were to me...?"_ She shook her head, she had to focus on reality, not in fictitious existences that her mind conjured. "Hinata." Her father called for her, it was time to train again.

Hinata always gave her full effort to the Jūken training, honing her Byakugan to make it sharper and increase the accuracy of her strikes. But there was something amiss, her body refused the rigid style most Hyūga dominated. If one could say that the Jūken was like a mountain, unmovable and unyielding, Hinata's body begged for a style that was as fluid as a river. Hiashi demanded from her the conformity to the traditional kata, but she always came short from completing them to the letter, her limbs moving not in a single line from each position to another, but in flowing moves unacceptable for the clan head.

* * *

Hiashi was growing more frustrated with his daughter, her kidnapping had reminded him how unforgiving their world was. His sense of security within the village was shaken, which led to him asking more and more of his child, hoping to turn her into the best fighter in the future. He decided to push her limits and show the brutality she would face as a kunoichi, calling her for a spar session. His child had cowered before him, feebly keeping her stance under his chilly gaze, hardened with memories of failures, regrets, and humiliations of the past.

The clan head pressed on his offspring, showering her with hard blows and parrying each attempt at retaliating from her. Hinata couldn't understand why her father was suddenly being so cruel, he knew that his performance was too much for her to face, yet he kept torturing her. Then she was thrown to the floor with a backhand. Something in her mind seemed to click, a will to survive was awakened. Hiashi could swear that these few moments when Hinata had looked into his eyes, she was a peerless being. She, for seconds, had a presence beyond what a human could aspire to be.

Using his distraction, Hinata got up and went to his chest, preparing a single strike with what remained of her strength. She ducked under his arm and hit his ribcage, but her young body was stressed beyond its limits and she faltered before connecting. "Urk-!" Hiashi winced and his daughter fell again, having fainted from overexertion. He paced his breathing and felt a burn where she struck. "Oh... that was close..." On his skin close to the heart was a nasty bruise, it was still sparking with some chakra, the blue lines writhing under the epidermis. _"If she had hit even one millimeter higher..."_ He would be the one down.

* * *

Pale orange orbs swept the rocky landscape, dark brown skin and black fur rippled with the muscles underneath. Kowan, the ushi-oni who was the spouse of the Hachibi, was grinning like a psycho. **{Found you, Gyūki!}** She had been painstakingly following each and every wisp of her husband's chakra, using them to track the general area where he was. She had intruded Kumo shortly after confirming the location of the bull, unknowing and uncaring of possible consequences. Silvery claws dug into the dirt as she scaled the outcroppings, not minding the occasional slip and ensuing rock avalanche.

Bee had been training at the Unraikyō like he always did. He had paused his training to rest a little, thinking briefly of his fellow jinchūriki Yugito, who was training close by with the strange cat she had found. Ā had been unwilling to let the girl keep the cat until it spat a ball of concentrated flames at the Raikage's face, which he dodged with time to spare. "Interesting, this little guy missed me on purpose." The man was curious to see how Yugito could incorporate this feline in her fighting style. _"Haah... maybe I could find a bull to train..."_ The Hachibi decided to chime in. _**"Are you jealous of her?"**_

At some point of their banter, Bee heard a rumbling coming from the distance but figured it was Yugito's fault. Until he recalled she was in the opposite direction. The rumbling kept coming towards him and dust clouds could be seen. "Uh..." The shinobi felt the urge to run away but took a fighting position. **_"Hmm? It feels familiar."_** This quip made Bee hesitate for a moment, one long enough for a rhino-sized ushi-oni to pop out from behind a rock formation, with eyes crazed and zeroed on him. "Screw this! I'm out!" He booked it and darted away, with the monster hot on his heels.

A wolf was in the middle of a hunt when a shrill scream spooked it into fleeing, the same happening to many members of wildlife. Trees were being toppled here and there, revealing a path if one looked from above. What was going on? Well... Killer Bee, the Hachibi jinchūriki, great shinobi of Kumo... was the one screeching like a dying chicken. But who wouldn't in this situation? He glanced back and saw that the spider centaur was still chasing him with fervor, ramming on plant life and boulders and steamrolling past them without losing speed. "FUCK! WHY ME‽"

* * *

Yugito was chasing her cat, who suddenly began running towards where Bee had been training, only to change directions and run to the forest. The cat had more agility than she thought, apparently, it had a grasp of chakra better than most chūnin. She was hard-pressed to keep pace, the animal had absurd reflexes and was using the terrain better than her. Then Bee and the monster chasing him came into view. "What's that thing?" Yugito then saw her cat leap on the creature's face, throwing it off balance and both crashed at a distance, skidding on their fronts and heads. They recovered fast and began arguing hotly.

Killer Bee and Yugito watched as her oversized cat had a screaming match with the half-human creature that had been chasing him, a series of grave mewling and indignant growls rising from them. **{We can't simply take them away, the humans will chase us!}** The cat revealed itself to be a shrunken tiger, returning to its natural size to intimidate the ushi-oni. **{Besides, the return function isn't activated yet!}** The tiger kept in her way, not letting her lunge at Bee again. **{I don't give a flying fuck! I've been dry for too long! I'll get my deserved shagging!}** The ushi-oni was stomping her front legs, shaking the ground with the force. **{Goddamn woman! Calm your tits!}**

She got a glare hard enough to crack stone. **{Are you trying to fight me...?}** The feline became a male with tiger ears and legs, having a toned body and two tails. **{Gy** **ūki-san wouldn't like to see you in trouble because of him.}** This made her stop for a moment, then a huge pout appeared. **{Then I'll just stay by the side of the human!}** She shrunk to the size of a tarantula and went to Bee before he could react, taking a seat on his head. The tiger man bowed to the two humans. **"Sorry for hiding this from you, Yugito-san. Bee-san I beg you to let Kowan stay with you."**

Bee was uncomfortable with having a spider with spikes for legs and a bull skull for a head perched on his shoulder, but Gyūki got in a damn good mood since he let her stay with him. _"Yo Eight, what is she to ya?" **"She's my wife."**_ Yugito was eyeing the male in front of her. "What's your name?" The tiger man scratched his nose. **"It's Mikado."** He turned back into an oversized cat while the girl stared at him. _**"Fucking don't try it, he's my husband."**_ Yugito almost jumped in surprise when Matatabi talked to her. _"Wait... You're a female?"_

* * *

 **Reviews, please?**


	6. Chapter 5

A flowing river, deep and calm, steadily cutting through the mountain. The raging ocean, merciless yet bountiful, having taken and given life to creatures both land and water bound. A wild storm, sometimes gentle and others so cruel, soothing or ravaging the earth. These were the pictures passing through the haze of a dream in Hinata's mind. Water held so many shapes, ingrained in many facets of life. She knew by instinct that once she was strong enough, this element would be under her control. She walked to a cliff in her dream and looked to the dark watery depths below, expecting something, anything.

Two violet orbs came into view from the abyss, rising steadily along with a long and sinuous body. The water churned and roiled along with the beast's movements as it burst through the surface, sending large amounts of the liquid flying. A thunderous roar of freedom rang in the air, relaying its glee at being alive again. Hinata's heart thrummed along with the rumbling voice of this mythical being, sharing its feeling of elation. The azure scales and ultramarine mane shone with the light hitting the beads of water, its ivory horns rose proudly to the skies. It roamed the clouds, enjoying the liberating coldness of the wind.

Then it came to the girl on the cliff, hovering before her as its tail whipped the water at the bottom lazily. Hinata saw the scarlet magatama on its neck and touched her own, not believing what this could mean. It was a Ryū, one that looked at her as if she was a mirror. She extended her hand and it let her touch its snout, making her feel a rush of power that was so familiar. Amethyst eyes holding warmth looked into surprised pearls. They, human and creature, were one and the same.

* * *

Tired eyes struggled to open, the body was sluggish and sore. Hinata felt that she was on her bed, with her mother fussing over her while Hanabi laid by her side and was dozing off. "...-She's too young-...-You imbecile!-...-To your own child-..." She distinctly heard a slap on flesh. "Hiashi, don't you dare to repeat this!" Her eyes opened fully and she saw her father holding his cheek while her mother was still with her arm raised, both panting from an argument. "... Mom..?" Hitomi turned away from her husband to care for her daughter. "Are you okay, sweetie? Do you feel pain?"

Hinata looked apprehensively to her father, recalling his aggressiveness, and feared to get a scolding for passing out during the spar. "Hiashi, you better step out." The man looked at his wife. "But-" Hitomi raised her hand to silence him. "Go, now. Don't you see she's afraid of you?" He begrudgingly went out, closing the door. "Calm down dear, daddy won't punish you, I guarantee it." Hitomi pulled her child to her lap, brushing off her hair. "Mama!" Hanabi got jostled awake and was trying to get her mother's attention. "Come here, mommy will hold you."

The two sisters enjoyed the embrace of their mother. Then Hitomi began singing a lullaby for them, an old song from the clan. It told about a man who had lost his way in a snowy mountain, wandering through the cold and drowning in his sorrow, until a woman came to him and guided him away from the cold and gave him hope in life again. He returned to see her after he recovered his strength, but all he found was a small hut devoid of life. It was a sad yet soothing song, making the sisters fall asleep.

* * *

Hiashi huffed after closing the door, it had been a single spar that went out of control, he wouldn't hurt his child on purpose. "Hngh-!" The foreign chakra in his bruise was yet to fade completely, making the unflappable man wince. _"This is unheard of..."_ The Hyūga fighting style involved using one's own chakra to disturb the network within a person, but the foreign energy was usually broken down after a few hours, serving as temporary roadblocks that had the potential to clog the flow and kill. _"It hasn't broken down in the least..."_

Hiashi decided that holding on his pride could kill him and sought a medic of the clan, demanding secrecy. "Oh, gods... I'll deal with it quickly." Hanzo had seen many ailments borne from the Jūken, but nothing like this. As the clan head sat still on the cot, the medic analyzed the chakra and its behavior. "It's feeding off your chakra and growing. If it were higher up or if you waited longer to see me, your heart would have already failed." This information made Hiashi feel a pang of fear, he had almost died at his daughter's hand.

"Can you treat it?" Hanzo tried manipulating it to make it dissipate, but it reacted like a bubble in oil, moving around instead. "The typical approach won't work. Let me fetch something." Hiashi's eyes widened when he saw the tool. "That...!" Hanzo held an old wooden rod, a translucent blue crystal on the tip. "I thought that it could have a future use, and I was right." It was an archaic way to treat chakra overload, siphoning out the energy to let it dissipate in the air. "Will it work?" Hanzo had a wry expression. "It has to."

Hiashi was holding back his expressions of pain, Hanzo was guiding the foreign chakra into the crystal, both seeing the blue turn darker and more nitid. "Just a little more." The energy leaving his body felt as if something was clawing its way off his skin. _"I better not make Hinata enter that state during a spar again."_ Hiashi gave a grunt when the last of the chakra left his system, only to jolt in surprise at the sound of a screech. "Wow!" Both men saw the chakra take the form of an ryū before dissolving for good. "So... who's the owner of such a peculiar chakra, if I may ask?"

* * *

Menma was sitting in the last row, hearing the teacher drawl about Ninja story. He was so damn bored and looked at the courtyard, where the year under his was training aim skills. For some reason, Naruto was trying to get his attention, but Menma ignored him in favor of Hinata. They had managed sparse meetings when their breaks were scheduled at the same period. She was using shuriken and kunai, attempting to strike every target. She came one short, but it was enough for him to feel proud of her, a slight smile tugging at his lips. _"Atta girl."_

"Menma." The teacher called for his attention. "Hai." The teacher tapped on the blackboard. "Come and solve this for the class." The redhead went to the front, passing by an excitable older boy in green clothes and a stoic male Hyūga. Neji and Menma could compete for the top grade, but the son of the Hokage thought it a hassle, underperforming on purpose, which irritated the brunet. "Try not to make too many mistakes, dreamer." Menma just clicked his tongue and ignored the jab at his like for ancient legends.

Naruto huffed indignantly, irritated at his brother's cold shoulder. He turned to the girl who held Menma's focus. "Hyūga! I challenge you!" Hinata was startled at his outburst. "Why me? You always challenge Sasuke-san." Blue eyes narrowed at her hesitation to accept. "Cuz' I said so! Get ready!" A piece of chalk hit him from behind. "No bullying girls on my watch! Stupid brother!" Menma had opened the classroom's window and seemed to be about to jump out. "Why do you keep butting in‽" The twins had a brief argument until Menma retreated willingly, while Naruto would have chased after if Iruka hadn't grabbed him.

The scarred teacher was scolding Naruto. "Stop trying to pick fights with Menma! You're both sons of the Hokage, behave like that!" The student was sulking. "I just want us to be family... but otou-san always separated us... he never let Menma in our training..." Iruka frowned at this information. The Hokage practiced favoritism even with his children? "Look, Naruto... I don't know how things are in your home..." The chūnin patted the head of the blond. "But keep trying, okay? One day your brother might return your wish." Iruka doubted things would be easy, considering that Menma was supposedly being treated like a leper by his own father.

Classes were over for the day and the kids flocked to exit the building. Naruto saw that Menma was standing by the Academy entrance. "Nii-san-" But his eyes were elsewhere, looking behind the blond. "Hinata-chan! Let's get udon!" The girl ran past Naruto, joining Menma as he started walking away. _"Why?"_ The redhead always looked bored within the Namikaze household or in the same room where his relatives were. Naruto kept trying to mend the bridges Minato burned, but apparently, his brother still felt hurt and rebuffed his efforts. Now, with Hinata by his side, Menma was smiling brightly.

* * *

 ***BOOM*** A cloud of debris and smoke rose from the edge of an encampment, alerting many people. "Who the fuck did that‽" One of the witch supervisors rushed out, with a demon familiar in tow. "... you again..." Glynda looked at the passed out witches in the middle of a charred crater. "Can someone take care of these dunces? I got to deal with the gate." The procedure was faster this time, as they had the research and notes to cut short the time needed. But the easy part was already done, that was the restoration of the physical gate, they now had to link the natural energy to the structure.

A tatsu was aiding their efforts in locating a suitable dragon vein, scouting the nearby lands along with mages with keen senses for chakra flow. Once they found some adequate sized lines, they had to reroute it to power the gate. "Don't lose concentration! One slip and it's square zero again!" They had to use their own chakra to guide the natural energy, that looked like tendrils with a faint green tint, but it was more demanding than pushing a boulder uphill. "You three! Go replace those in the rear!" There were people faltering and the pale green ropes were about to rebound back to their original location.

Green eyes watched the efforts with interest. "Enjoying the sights, Gaara?" A woman sat by the boy and patted his head. "Mom, what are they doing?" Mamizou watched the heaving group of monsters and humans handling the barely visible tendrils of energy, smiling at the way the boy addressed her. "They are repairing the gate I told you about." Gaara looked up at the female, leaning on her side. She had kept her promise, the people of this camp were nicer to him than Sunagakure ever was, treating him as simply one more boy living in the area.

The Ichibi jinchūriki got up, making his now surrogate mother curious. "Where are you going?" Gaara wiped off the leaves stuck on him. "I wanna see Marisa." She recalled the earlier explosion, a slight feeling of annoyance sprouting at the manic youths at the camp. "Go to the medical bay, she was one of the culprits in that accident, so she's there, again." Mamizou chuckled once the boy was gone, she had feared he would retreat into a shell and become lonely, but the blonde teenage witch didn't let him, forging a friendship with him as fellow youths among adults.

* * *

 **New time skip, to the Genin graduation. If you want to see a specific monster, put it in a review or PM, I'll try to make it work.**

 **Glossary: Tatsu = western dragon. Ryū = eastern dragon. I** **f there's a dragon** **I'll mention the terms to specify the type.  
**


	7. Chapter 6

Naruto was getting ready for the Academy, pumped up for the final test he would undertake. _"I'll become a shinobi today!"_ He snapped his goggles in place and smirked to the mirror. He went to the kitchen to get breakfast, not minding that he was alone in the household, knowing that his twin was on a mission and his father was already at the office. He was about to eat his cereal when he spotted the clock. "... IMMA GONNA MISS THE TEST!" He gulped down the milk and dashed to the Academy. In the way he tripped on a striped cat with an ear ribbon that began wailing on the boy, delaying him further. _"Damn furball!"_

The young Namikaze skidded in front of the Academy gate, covered by cat bites and scratches. "Okay, dash!" He stomped down hallways, getting passing scoldings from some teachers. He bumped on some wall corners, but brushed the pain away and shoved open the door. "SAFE!" Iruka stared at him while Mizuki just huffed at the blonde's antics. The entire class snickered at the teachers' reactions. "Not 'safe', Naruto." The boy deflated visibly. "Just get in, this is your last day after all." The scarred man waved for the boy to go to his seat. "You're the best!" Naruto dashed to his place in the last row.

Iruka had been calling the students one by one, alternating with Mizuki in giving the proficiency test. Some of the students failed, all them coming from civilian families or clans. It seemed that merchants wanted some extra 'security' within their households in their children turning into ninjas. Mizuki was who had applied the practical test to Naruto, deciding to fail him and use him as a scapegoat, but there was a snag. The boy was able to use kage bunshin, courtesy of his father and Kakashi, who had tutored him before the Academy. _"Shit... I'll have to find some other distraction..."_ The chūnin instructor couldn't bullshit the boy into flunking and let him pass. Naruto knew not of his thoughts and hollered in triumph after getting the headband.

* * *

A timid girl had merely accepted the band offered by the instructor, returning to her seat without a fuss. Hinata had feared she would mess up at some stage of the test, but now it was over. She heaved a sigh of relief, maybe she would get praise from her father. The metal was pristine, untested like herself. How much wear and tear she could lay upon it before she had to receive another? She could hear the cheers of those who passed and the bemoaning of those who failed. _"Who will be my teammates?"_ Considering Neji's team, maybe two of the boys present in the room would be put with her, but who? She figured that speculation would take nowhere and just enjoyed her success.

Hinata had expected to tell Menma about her graduation, but he was out of the village for now. He had trained with her in their free time, passing on skills she would need later such as using water and tree walk. The girl had noticed that she had a strange fluttering sensation within her when he was around, maybe she could ask her mother about it. Then she recalled the level of the missions he would be taking because he had done the Chūnin exams as soon as he could and managed to pass. _"Please, be safe."_ He had gone with some older ninjas to hunt for thieves in a trading route.

She went through the Academy gates and decided to treat herself with cinnamon rolls at a bakery, walking distractedly. "Ojou-chan~ Care to see my wares?" Hinata turned her face to see a peddler with a mobile stand, all sort of items on display. This person had black and brown hair tied in a short braid, his clothes being a kind of brown suit with 狸 embroidered on the lapel. His amiable hazel eyes convinced her to see the merch offered. "Much obliged for your interest, how may I serve you?" Hinata saw the pink heart-shaped fruits and a book with the gravure of a map on the cover. "Oh, I see... these Shūjin fruits are delicious treats in my homeland, and this book is an encyclopedia of mythical beings."

She opened the book to see the contents, seeing drawings of many creatures, with the humanoid and bestial versions side by side, accompanied by descriptions of them. "It's a thousand ryō for the book and a hundred for each fruit, is it acceptable?" Hinata figured Hanabi would like the book, and the fruits smelled sweet. "I want three of these and the book." She pulled out the coins and got handed a cloth bag with her purchase. "Let me tell you a tip, these fruits go well with barley tea. And the skin is good for your health." He had a smile and waved her goodbye. As the girl walked away, the merchant turned pensive. _"Her presence felt like a ryūjin... maybe I should report to the boss."_

* * *

Minato looked at the rows of chūnin on the arena, sifting through the many folders containing reports and reviews by jōnin. _"Hm... there is an Inuzuka with good ratings on missions and prowess..."_ He glanced up and swept over the ninja gathered, making the most nervous ones gulp dryly. The piles of folders on each side grew taller and many people were already dismissed, grating on the nerves of those who stayed. The Hokage kept whittling down the number of ninjas in the room, each folder to his left meant one person dropped off. When the number was down to twenty-one, he stopped moving the folders and looked at his subordinates.

"To those wondering about what I will say, let me explain." The Namikaze got up and stood before the desk, holding an imposing stance. "Our forces are yet to recover to a satisfactory level, surely you noticed some of your most experienced peer's absence from the village lately." He walked around the group slowly, like a wolf around lambs, hearing some nervous muttering. "I have researched certain rumors..." The chattering got louder. "Yes, the rumors about monsters being real is the truth, Jiraiya brought me confirmation." He stopped before the desk again. "My aim is to recruit these vagrant groups into our rows before the other villages." The ninjas wondered what could sprout from this decision if it came to fruition.

Tsume frowned, her daughter Hana got selected to form one of the groups were sent to try and make alliances with at least one monster group that was occasionally discovered. They were yet to make true contact with one, it seemed that they had powerful sensory scouts that helped to avoid the ninjas sent after them, frustrating the five Kages. Minato had been adamant in finding them, stressing their need for more power to defend against rival villages. She was honestly worried for her child, these creatures were an unknown existence with behavior currently unpredictable. But she couldn't stop Hana from going, it would be against the Hokage decision, an act that could brand her as untrusting of the heroic leader.

* * *

Gaara had been slightly weirded out by the individuals with nonhuman bits, but with the years gone by and his peers treating it as uninteresting, he got used to the sights. "Mom, is there a way for me to be like you?" Since they were among kindred, Mamizou felt no need to hide her tanuki traits and treated Gaara as her child, but the boy wanted something physical to show his bond to her, hence the question. "Why? I see no need." He lowered his gaze, the only thing similar between them was the dark rings around their eyes. "Hm... I guess we could ask a colleague of mine when the gate is activated." The group of people that behaved as if they were in a tug-of-war with the very Earth was in their home stretch, a few more days and it would end.

A group of mages struggled to take one last step before letting go of the green energy on their hands, heaving out sighs of exertion. "It's done!" Through the gate one could see the monster land, letting the people around know that their efforts yielded fruits. "Whoohoo! It's over!" Marisa was jumping in cheers as Gaara emotionlessly waved his arms along. "Here, let's go see your new home!" She grabbed his arm and darted into the gate, dragging the boy on tow. "Wait- Oh heavens..." Mamizou barely missed them and just sighed, going through the portal as well.

The poor redhead was carried along by the young witch like a ragdoll as she ran by the shopping district, she pointed some landmarks and buildings to him, but he watched the many different people in the streets instead. Back in the camp, there were mostly tatsu, ryū, werewolves, crow tengu, and human-looking mages. Gaara had noticed in passing that some of the 'humans' had pointed ears, that Mamizou had explained as them being 'elves'. In this place there were many body sizes, big and small, animalistic and monstrous, some even had the body type described as 'centaur' mixed with different animals.

"Here we are!" Marisa barged into a building while dragging baggage, making the bell ring. A man with tanuki ears just glared at her with a twitching tail from his desk. "Have I not told you to stop with that?" She grinned and let go of Gaara, who just got up, his sand had kept him from collecting rash and getting banged up. "... Wait... the boy..." Kuno, as an apprentice of Mamizou, was familiar with how the presence of a strong tanuki felt like, and the boy was on par with his chief. "Anything you want to say?" The aforementioned chief just came through the door. The male just waved his hands in defeat. "I vowed to not meddle in your business." He simply went back to his job while Gaara stared in confusion at his mother. "I'll explain to you later."

Marisa said her goodbye, going off to meet people she knew, promising to return later. Mamizou guided him upstairs, revealing a de facto house, as the lower floor was more like an office. "Come, you will learn a few things now you're under my care." She took him to his new bedroom, that was a little underfurnished. "Here is your room, we'll decorate it tomorrow." Gaara went to the bed and laid down, falling asleep almost instantly. _"Another fell prey to weresheep wool."_ Mamizou picked a blanket from the wardrobe and put it on the boy. "Yo, where did you get him-" She glared at Kuno, silencing him. "... sorry."

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 **Should I stop giving space for Gaara? Review or PM your answer.  
**


	8. Chapter 7

Hinata arrived home without issues and got greeted by her mother and sister. "Congratulations my dear!" She accepted their hugs, the band around her neck being enough for them. "Nee-san, what do you have there?" Hanabi began tugging at the bag right after letting go of her sister, having smelled fruity sweetness from it. Hitomi also got curious, spotting the book and fruits inside. "Oh, where did you get these?" The pink hearts were unlike any produce the matriarch had seen before. Hinata picked two and gave them to her mother and sister. "I met a new seller today, he had these in stock, and this book is from his homeland."

The trio went to the garden, the girls held the mango-sized fruits and book and the woman held a plate with teacups and a kettle. "Let's dig in?" They each bit into their shūjin, feeling the skin cave and give way to soft goodness. *Blort-!* Hanabi was too greedy in eating, which led to the splurting of whitish pulp on her face and her family staring at her. "... Uu..." Hinata and Hitomi rushed to the rescue, one going to get a towel and the other went to calm down the child. If she started crying it would be hard to stop. "Calm down Hana-chan, we'll share ours with you." The mess got wiped clean and the young girl got handed a bowl and spoon with fruit.

"Mm... this really tastes nice." Hitomi thought it as a mellow sweetness that didn't let her get bored with it, it kept ranging from watermelon to peaches and other soft fruits. "Where is this vendor, Hinata? I really liked this product." The girl relayed the location of the peddler to her mother and turned to the book, receiving tugs by the jacket. "Read it for me?" Hanabi had finished her portion with gusto, almost to the point of licking the bowl clean, stopped by a stern glare from her mother. "Okay, imouto-chan." Hitomi watched her daughters interact with the book, hearing the elder one read the contents to the younger. "Hinata, Hanabi, I'll go out. Please, behave."

Hitomi departed and the sisters were reading the book intently, the vivid descriptions and gravures fueling their young minds, imagining the creatures in their natural environment. "Nee-san this one looks like yours!" Hanabi pointed at the picture of an ryū as a human, indicating the magatama outline between the collarbones. "Yeah, maybe it's our ancestor?" The younger girl got giddy at the idea, but Hinata had never seen something about this in the clan history, being related to a practically divine being would be a fact the proudest elders would parade. Why wasn't the case then? Maybe there was an incident lost in the fog of the past that made it a shameful truth to be hidden.

* * *

Warashi was about to close shop for the day when he heard steps behind him. "Excuse me, sir." A pretty female similar to the girl of earlier approached him. _"Must be the mother, Hyūga have peculiar eyes."_ He bowed to her, the rumor mill informed him that her clan held prestige in the village. "How may I serve you?" The woman let out a giggle, making him smile in response. "My daughter told me the fruits she bought came from you. Do you perhaps have more in stock?" He swept his eyes over his wares, knowing she would get disappointed by his answer.

Warashi had a tiny drop in his good mood. "Pardon this humble seller, but the produce stock had to be sold off fast, or they would spoil." He saw the woman become a little crestfallen. "Worry not, my supplier will trace a route to bring refills, once its done supplies shall arrive regularly. Hitomi nodded in understanding and waved him goodbye. Once the Hyūga was gone and the street was desert, a large crow with a bag landed on his shoulder. **{The gate is fixed, restocking shall be done on request. Will you buy news?}** He put a few coins in a pouch and pulled out a newspaper, the Karasu Tengu & Ratatoskr network was already digging their claws in the Elemental Nations.

The first few news were about the monster lands, but there were large sections dedicated to the Elemental Nations for those who were on this side of the world, giving basic information about each village's internal workings, the most used jutsu type in each nation, nukenin roaming trading routes and how to avoid them, and most important, the location of the Bijū. _"Hm, I wonder if the boss will reply to my letter."_ Before the crow flew away, he handed in his report to his merchant guild. The girl had a marking under her neck, mostly hidden by clothing and the ninja band, but he had spotted it. It was present in every ryū, taking the place of a stone magatama when they took human shape. From the news, Kurama was in this village, his wife must have chosen to reincarnate close to him.

Warashi did the accounting of today's sales and remaining stock, giving out a little puff of pride. _"Humans love exotic products!"_ The merchant was minding his own business, having hidden his stall for the night and assuming the appearance of a mere tanuki, resting in a warm alley. He was about to sleep when a stench hit his nostrils, bolting up from his nest. _"Smoke!"_ He saw a few houses already on fire, dashing to save his breadwinner. But the flash arson made him suspicious, there was no way that all these abandoned households could have domestic accidents at the same time. _"It must be a setup, but for what purpose?"_

* * *

Sarutobi Asuma was an experienced jōnin, having even taken service time for the Daimyō as a Shugonin, but now he was faced with an interesting person. Namikaze, no... Uzumaki Menma, as the boy had demanded to be put in his official ninja register, was quite talented. But it was a given, considering his progenitors, yet the boy got disregarded by his father. Speaking of Minato, there was no plausible reason for him to be so unaccepting of his first-born, yet he was. Asuma watched as the redhead returned from gathering logs, recalling his brutal ferocity against the thugs.

The boy was the reason they found their hideout so fast, despite having a small group. _"His senses are at the level of an Inuzuka... is it the influence of Kyūbi?"_ The other chūnin that had been accompanying them, hailing from a civilian family, had been too cocky. It was a pity that he had died, going against so many thugs only with bravado to account for, and leaving them behind. But if this kind of person was on the roster and survived until now on luck, this was the only outcome. Menma had pinpointed the hideout and came to Asuma for a plan, that ended in the place going up in flames.

Asuma felt that this tyke, even without a Bijū in him, had a great potential. Naruto could be the treasured child and jinchūriki, but he was too naive. Even as a genin Menma didn't underestimate the harshness of ninja life, that coupled with a good training regimen helped him become chūnin early. In the man's eyes, the boy held a slyness, having even secretly imparted extra knowledge to the Hyūga heiress that would put her ahead of her peers. _"Does he like her...? I might have a good betting suggestion..."_ Menma was the reason he and Asuma were so close to Konoha now, and not in the middle of the woods searching for the thieves.

Menma looked at the Sarutobi, noticing his analytical gaze. He just went back to setting up the campfire, thinking about Hinata and wondering if she had passed the test. _"It was scheduled for today. Did our training pay off?"_ His golden eyes admired the moon, in its fullness it reminded him of the girl. "Hey boy, thinking of your girlfriend?" Menma blushed briefly, making Asuma smirk. _"Yeah! This bet is already won!"_ The Sarutobi avoided a stone aimed at his nuts. "That's foul play!" The Uzumaki showed his tongue. "Then don't try to tease me!"

Asuma and Menma heard the sound of foliage being disturbed and got alert, abandoning the attempts to light the fire, and went into the treeline to search for the disturbance. "Stay sharp, brat." The older male got a scoff at this. "Same to you, chimney." They each made a single kage bunshin, waiting for the one making the noises to arrive. _"Only one person, but the way the tree branches are creaking indicates a heavy load."_ Thin wire got prepped at the throat and hip level for a person tree jumping, along with seals charged with Raiton, they had covered the possible routes the incoming person would take. _"Here it comes!"_

* * *

The ninjas currently at Konoha were in overdrive, rushing civilians to safe locations and trying to subdue a raging inferno that was devouring the empty rows of houses left in the wake of a past incident. "We need Suiton users at block seven!" There were people taking down buildings to keep the arson contained, racking up the amount of damage. "Run faster you bastards! Do you want to die‽" To escape the fire, the less agile adults, and children got carried away by ninjas. This fact made the manpower available to be stretched thin. "It's Hokage-sama!" Minato couldn't ignore the plight of his people and went to help, using Hiraishin to accelerate the evacuation.

Mizuki shuffled through the vegetation outside the village in his escapade, praying with all his strength that his distraction would hold back the attention of the ninja corps long enough for him to get far away with the Scroll of Seals. "Orochimaru-sama will reward me greatly!" He was jumping on the tree branches, uncaring if he made noise in his haste. "But it's a pity I couldn't give the demon a good punishment." The scroll hung heavy on his back, reminding him of the promised bounty offered by the Hebi Sennin. The chūnin smirked and pushed more chakra to his muscles.

"Huh-!" Mizuki felt something touch his neck and legs, delivering a crippling discharge of electricity to his body. "Gaah- aah!" The silver-head male fell to the forest ground, still feeling the foreign energy coursing his body and suffering of violent coughs. "Chūnin Mizuki, explain yourself." The man looked up at Asuma, who had a furious expression. _"That scroll... this son of a bitch!"_ Before the downed man could reply, he felt slashes to his Achilles' tendons, ripping screams of pain from his mouth. "Well done, Menma."

The redhead took the scroll and went to his leader's side, both glaring at the traitor. "Congrats, Menma, if it wasn't for your skills, he would have gotten away." Mizuki got knocked out and tied up, the duo decided to forgo camping in favor of getting to Konoha as soon as possible. "To think that he turned traitor..." Asuma was grinding his teeth in rage, why was the village's heirloom left for this roach to take? "There's nobody trying to track him, maybe he machinated a great ruse to divert attention." Menma pitched a theory to the Sarutobi. "To the point, even ANBU would look the other way?" The tone made Menma gulp, Konoha could be in danger.

"Let's rush brat! One traitor means that there might be more!" Asuma and Menma pushed themselves to the limit but were slightly slowed down by their loads. "Grit your teeth and endure the stress!" The older male kept hurrying his subordinate, both desired to arrive in time to help. "Yosh! I can see the road, Menma!" They moved to the easier terrain, kicking up the gravel used to pave it. "Oh, gods... is that an arson?" The red light could be seen in the distance, radiating from the proud walls of Konoha.

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 **Maybe I went overboard with the fire... but I got a nice scene planned! Is there a character you want to see interacting with monsters? If so, tell me in a review.**


	9. Chapter 8

The Hyūga clan was helping with the efforts of evacuation, and Hinata was aiding them as well, as even genin were called for help. She saw the fear and despair on the face of the people, caused by the disastrous event. _"Isn't there something else I can do?"_ She felt a wave of wooziness cross her body, bringing along an unpleasant pressure in her chest. "Are you okay, Hinata-sama?" Her old caretaker Kō held her shoulder, steadying her and showing clear worry. "Don't mind me, it's just the smoke making me feel bad." She corrected her posture and resumed her duty.

Hinata kept feeling pangs of discomfort all over her body as if something was squirming under her skin. _"What's happening to me? Why did it start now?"_ Her face was strained with her struggle to keep a clamp on the ill sensations, but her peers thought her grimace an effect of the smoke and heat. _**"Call the rain."**_ She stopped walking, wondering who said that. **_"Tell the clouds to come."_** Was she turning delirious with the proximity to fire? No, she hadn't been there long enough for her sanity to get this bad. _"It's worth a shot, but I don't think anything will happen."_

The young heiress looked up, seeing the starry sky stained with the redness of the arson. A single wispy cloud was trailing in the distance, so she tried to beckon it. _"Please, work."_ It moved closer and more clouds, thicker and denser, followed it like sheep. _"Is it enough?"_ The masses of vapor accompanied her line of sight, flocking together over the general area of the fire. A bead of sweat ran down her temple unnoticed, her frame trembled slightly. If someone paid attention to the girl, they would see that her birthmark was shining crimson.

* * *

Once the duo had arrived at the village, they saw that their worries were real, there was an arson ongoing. "Let's unload our baggage and help!" Asuma had dropped Mizuki in a vacant jail cell and Menma left the scroll in the Namikaze house safe. "Oi! How can we help?" The jōnin approached the ninjas along with the chūnin, receiving instructions. Menma had used clones and tried to manipulate the fire with his Katon nature. "What are you doing?" The other shinobi would never think of something like this, but the Uzumaki had practiced this skill of his extensively.

Menma's control over the fire was found by accident, as he first used it on a campfire to make shapes during a bout of boredom. _"If I can stop even one more house from getting burned..."_ He ran clockwise around the perimeter of burning houses, with a clone doing the same in the opposite direction. Wherever he passed by the fire retreated, like cattle herded by a dog, leaving charred debris in its wake. _"Isn't there enough Suiton users?"_ The boy could keep the fire at bay, but not snuff it out, that had to be done by other means. "Hey, the sky is weird!" The cry of someone made people look up, the once clean sky was now spotted by clouds.

Hinata felt warmth in her chest and an encouraging presence, her focus on the clouds sharpened. The billowing mist began condensing and darkened, hiding the stars like a cloak. A bolt of electricity ran through it, discharging in the forest behind the Hokage monument, and droplets began falling. The thunder rumbling sounded like the roar of a dragon, and there were people who could swear they saw a serpentine shape writhing in the cloud. - Menma grinned when he felt water hit his face, this meant that his effort wouldn't be in vain. "Come on, rain as much you want!" The redhead caught sight of Hinata in his dash, waving at her, but she looked dazed. _"I better check on her when the fire goes down."_

The water came down as a drizzle at first, then it thickened gradually until it became a downpour, overpowering the arson and putting it out, leaving smoldering remains. Menma felt his clones dispel, receiving their memories. _"Good, it's over. Now, where's Hinata?"_ The boy went back to where he had seen her, she was rooted to the spot and looking to the sky. "Hey, are you okay?" He stood before her and held her shoulders, trying to get her attention. "Hinata?" Her eyes flickered with recognition, losing the glassy tone. "Menma, you're back." She wrapped her arms around him, starting a hug. They didn't mind the rain, just enjoying their reunion.

A tanuki was watching the couple from under a few bushes. _"My, what a surprise, she unlocked a part of her powers already."_ Warashi was already outlining the report he would send once the crow returned. _"And that boy..."_ A flash of irritation crossed his mind, making him recall a familiar feeling. _"Kitsune? Could he be Kurama's new self?"_ Tanuki and kitsune felt a primal enmity with each other, ranging from mild annoyance to borderline hatred. _"Keh- lovebirds."_ He wondered when the rain would stop. _"It makes my fur smell funky."_

* * *

Minato stared at the reports while a woman stood before his desk. "Are there any clues to what happened?" Blue eyes met onyx. "Mikoto, I know that your clan desires answers, but the investigation can't be a rush job." The female Uchiha grimaced, why did another disaster hit her clan? "Wasn't Itachi killing the best fighters enough? We are already weakened, and now we lost our home..." The man lowered his face, knowing a terrible secret that couldn't be leaked. _"Fugaku... why didn't you accept the deal...?"_ The Hokage also had to deal with the now homeless civilians.

Once Mikoto left the office, Minato looked over the losses. _"The entire Uchiha compound and three civilian blocks went up in smoke."_ Added to that were several houses that got demolished to keep the fire from spreading. _"If it wasn't for the rain..."_ And there was yet another issue, Mizuki had almost stolen the scroll containing forbidden knowledge. _"Asuma... Menma..."_ If they hadn't been there to intercept the man, it would have gone to Orochimaru. _"To almost destroy the village... for greed... that traitor..."_ He ordered Ibiki to squeeze Mizuki dry of every bit of intel he could give.

About his son, Minato had mixed feelings. He had pushed the redhead away in favor of Naruto, giving only to the blonde the attention that should have been shared with Menma. The Uzumaki had reason to abandon the village, to not keep himself under his father's rule, yet here he was, protecting Konoha and following Minato's orders. _"Our son... Kushina, I'm sorry..."_ The door opened, making him lift his eyes. "Did you want to see me, father؟" The redhead chūnin had a steely gaze. "Menma... sit, please." The Uzumaki refused. "I'm fine standing. What do you want? I already handed in a report."

* * *

Hinata was happy that she had been right to trust the strange voice in her head. _**"I have no reason to lie to you."**_ She froze in shock, the voice was back and sounded clearer. "Who are you?" It was the voice of an older female, and it chuckled at her confusion, like a mother to her child. _**"You only need to think to talk with me. Do you have a mirror?"**_ The Hyūga turned to her vanity mirror, seeing an adult female with features similar to hers, but the white antlers and a long blue tail indicated she wasn't human. _**"Greetings, 'me'."**_ The woman raised a clawed hand covered by scales and touched her palm to the vitreous surface.

The girl put her hand against the glass, expecting coldness. _"It's warm..."_ The ryū smiled gently. **_"I'm glad to see that my reincarnation is a sweet girl."_** Hinata blinked and was confused. **_"Before you were born, I sacrificed myself to take down a seal, I wanted to make my friends happy."_** The girl frowned. _"Was it necessary?"_ She got shocked at the expression of anguish. **_"That I don't know... but I couldn't keep living away from Kurama."_** The dragon put her other hand over her heart. **_"I had the chance to meet him in the Enma's tribunal, and now he's somewhere out there."_**

Then her eyes met the girl's own pair. _**"But I trust that you will be able to find him and have the happiness I couldn't experience by his side."**_ She had a genuine hope that it would happen in the future. **_"Go to sleep. I will teach you about our skills after you rest enough."_** It was then that Hinata recalled something that would happen the next day. _"Can that wait? I have to attend a sorting in the morning."_ The ryū shook her head. **_"I don't mind. Rest, you will need it."_**

* * *

Minato was left with his head lowered in defeat as Menma walked away, closing the door behind him. _"Shitty old man, he thinks a simple apology fixes all?"_ Well, he might have been ostracized by the Namikaze, but his resentment splashed on Naruto, who was an innocent party in the mess. _"I guess that I should have accepted his offer."_ He stepped out of the Hokage building and took a long way home. _"Why did he treat me like scum? I never did anything bad, unlike Naruto, who always pulls pranks."_ The redhead kicked a pebble in annoyance. **_"Seems like we got bad luck with fathers."_** The Namikaze shook his head, he was so overwhelmed by his day that he was getting auditory hallucinations.

Once the boy got home, he just went to bed and laid to sleep. "Hm... windy..." Menma opened his eyes and sat up, was there a window he forgot to close? "Wait, I didn't fall asleep in a forest!" He got to his feet and looked around, seeing trees until where his sight could reach, that was little due to the darkness. _"Who brought me here? That old man got crappy choices for ANBU!"_ Then he noticed something, the forest was too quiet to be normal. There would be cries of nocturnal animals and the creaking of things being stepped on, but there was only wind.

 **"You're a quite perceptive one."** The boy turned sharply, facing a gargantuan fox laying down with its head over crossed paws. "Kyūbi..." A snort sent his hair back and pushed him slightly with the force used. **"I have a name, it's Kurama. Memorize it, because it's also yours."** Menma stared at it, not believing what he heard. "Do you mean that I'm your reincarnation?" A low and rumbling chuckle rang from its large mouth, revealing sharp fangs. **"Good, you have a healthy brain. Correct. You can say that I'm your previous life."** It rolled to its back, scratching its belly. **"I wonder if you can find our dear wife."** At this Menma tried to ask more, but after a blink, he was facing the ceiling of his bedroom. "God-fuck-damn it!"

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 **Okay... Reply time.  
**

 **Guest: I got a stupid grammar checker that keeps changing a to an. I try to fix mistakes I manage to catch.**


	10. Chapter 9

Menma looked around his bedroom. _"What a crap dream... Me? The reincarnation of the Kyūbi... as if."_ Then the redhead recalled something. _"The old man wanted to tell something to me and Naruto before the Academy."_ He got up, changed out of his pajamas, and put on a purple shirt and beige pants. "Naruto, Menma." The twins heard their father and went to the waiting room. The younger blonde was pumped up for the selection that would take place later on. "I hope I get Sakura-chan in my team!" Menma only had a blank look as a response. They faced their progenitor, waiting for him to start talking.

"I'm sure you heard of how Sarutobi Hiruzen managed to slay the Kyūbi years ago, correct?" The Sandaime, titled God of Shinobi, met his end sending the creature into oblivion. "That, sadly, is false. It was a lie to make the civilians think it was over." Minato heaved a forlorn sigh. "Also, it didn't attack for no reason, it was enraged because it had been sealed within your mother, Uzumaki Kushina." The boys didn't like the tone the Hokage spoke with. "A Bijū can't be killed, it's now sealed in you, Naruto." The younger twin had a look of shock, while the other simmered in thoughts.

"Hehehe..." The two blondes stared at their relative as if he had gone mad. "So... you ignored me and treated me like that because he is more precious than me؟" Menma had a twisted smirk, creeping out his father and brother. "Fuck me, throw me to the wolves, I'm worth shit! Isn't that right, father؟" Minato had a look of shock and Naruto felt sick to his gut. Was the redhead always this close to snapping? "Well, it doesn't matter anyway." Menma turned to go out. "Good luck little brother, you will need it." The front door got slammed shut, making the blondes wince.

Menma was kicking pebbles down the road, uncaring of his surroundings, too pissed at his father to pay attention to other people. _"Why did I have to be born to him?"_ Minato could go choke on a dick and he wouldn't mind. About Naruto, the redhead was still musing about their situation. _"Well, when the time comes, I'll defend him from other villages and nukenin, it's the least I can do."_ He passed by an udon place and decided to eat, having missed breakfast. "One kitsune udon, please." Then he thought about Hinata. _"I hope she passes the exam given by the jōnin."_

* * *

Ā looked over the reports about the village, examining the details of population development and economic growth, grinning at how his proposal had worked gloriously. _"Monsters...? They are much better than humans in strength and productivity."_ To the Raikage what mattered most was the utility of a citizen to Kumo. Kowan, the bull-spider that never left Bee's side, had produced clothing with properties no human could replicate easily. She had made a set of clothes for his brother that had blocked Ā's Raiton cloak, making the leader consider welcoming monsters then. And Mikado was crucial in defending a relatively inexperienced Yugito from nukenin, defeating jōnin level foes easily. He had a huge head start compared to other Kages, already having 'monsters' integrated to his nation.

"Greetings Raikage-sama." One of those crow tengus had come to him after he had asked the tiny tiger if it could get more of his kin to Kumo. "What is your purpose?" The winged male bowed to the human, extending an encyclopedia to him. "Your request for immigrants is under analysis. In here you can see your prospective citizens." A stack of documents was plopped over the book. "I was sent to examine the biomes available in your lands. If you could mark on this map the locations under your dominion, it would be a great help." Ā looked over the papers, noting the clauses about abusing his limits and acceptable boundaries for monster handling. _"Not demand breeding programs, give land for them to settle down, keep the xenophoby low..."_

The Raikage had a few doubts. "What are the chances of this request going through?" The male smiled with a notepad on hands. "Because you welcomed two of the nine great yōkai in your lands, I'd say they're pretty good." He twirled the brush thoughtfully. "And you didn't display behavior we would consider negative yet." Ā nodded and offered a handshake. "I guess that if all works out you will be one of the diplomats, correct?" The tengu accepted the offer and shook his hand. "You are right. The higher-ups are pleased that at least one human nation is amiable. I trust you will deal with your daimyō, so he won't throw a tantrum." The men shared a smirk, a business being closed flawlessly was a universal pleasure.

The daimyō did complain about giving land to 'lowly creatures', but Ā had used silk of jorou-gumo and sake brewed by satyrs along with other monster products to buy his favor, and the gifts (bribes) managed to shift enormously the opinion of the haughty man. "I suppose we can extend our gracious hand towards these creatures and form a trade link." The Raikage had to hold in the urge to slap the pompous self-serving ruler for making the project seem to be his own idea. But it had gone smoothly, monsters suited for mountainous and forested terrain had settled in Kaminari and accepted to serve Kumo if need be.

Civilians almost made the monsters just up and return to their land, but forceful encouragement (threats) and the exotic products mellowed their opinions as well. Bee was now trying to woo one of the female holstaurs that came due to the agreement, Yugito was doing the same with a Chesire cat. _"As long they don't screw up things too badly, I'll allow it."_ The office door got slammed open. "DARLING!" A neon bluenette woman in a scanty silver kimono leaped on the bulky male. "I'M WORKING!" Now Ā had to deal with an amorous raijū who wanted to get in his pants. _"So annoying!"_

* * *

Hinata woke up with the sun hitting her eyes and recalled her last Academy assignment. _"I wonder who will be my teammates."_ She got up and readied herself for the day, recalling what Menma had once told her. "The jōnin instructor will give you one last test, it's about teamwork." Would she be able to pass this extra test? The girl shook her head and went for breakfast, glancing briefly at the mirror, only to see herself and not the woman of yesterday. _"Was it a dream?"_ Hinata stopped dwelling in her thoughts and exited the room.

After eating with her family, receiving votes of faith from her mother and sister, Hinata was now on her way to the Academy. During her trek, she passed by a certain stall. "Ojou-chan, did you enjoy the shūjin fruits?" She turned to face Warashi, smiling to the vendor. "Yes, when will you get more?" The man dug around in his paperwork and pulled one sheet. "Tell your mother that more will come within a week." She nodded and resumed her walk, wanting to arrive at the Academy on time. "Goodbye." The merchant waved goodbye as well.

The Hyūga saw the gates of the building where she spent many years attending, hoping this would be the last time she entered it as a student. The hallways and the smell of chalk became familiar to her, but now she would replace them with earth and blood, she knew the life of ninjas wasn't easy, as her father had once taken her to the hospital to witness a squad being carted in hurriedly, or else they would die. _"I will have to depend on my team to survive."_ She entered her class with hopes of not being joined with Uchiha Sasuke. _"Shino could be a good teammate."_

The boy had turned bitterly cold since Itachi had murdered their father and most of the adults of their clan, only sparing the non-ninja people, children, and retired elders. Hinata had only heard rumors about the traitor's motives, none good, and knew that the now heir of Uchiha had his heart set on revenge. She had seen his eyes, that other girls claimed to be cool and attractive, these were pits of hatred that if left unattended it would end badly. She felt uncomfortable around him, he seemed so little empathetic to others. Would he throw her in the path of danger if it increased his chances of killing his brother an infinitesimal amount? She didn't want to test the scenario.

* * *

Iruka had arrived in class and silenced the chattering children, noting in passing that Naruto was strangely subdued. "Very well, keep quiet while I say your team assignments. One more thing, teams are decided by the Hokage, thus they can't be altered, understood?" The scarred chūnin began stating who would be grouped with who, pausing briefly to let them groan in defeat at being paired with people they disliked or holler in happiness at having a friend as their teammate. One by one the jōnin instructors came to take their new pupils away.

The Umino had a subtle cringe once he finished with team 7, knowing Kakashi's reputation of chronic tardiness. "Team 8 is composed of Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyūga Hinata. Your jōnin instructor is Yūhi Kurenai." The boy holding a puppy cheered until the aforementioned woman entered the room. "Team 8, come with me." The trio got up from their seats and followed the Yūhi. While they followed the jōnin, Hinata attempted to get the attention of the boys. "Kiba-san, Shino-san, Menma-kun told me something you should know." The Inuzuka had his curiosity piqued and the Aburame turned his head to hear better. "She will give us a test about teamwork."

* * *

The group stood at a training ground, the youths faced the adult intently until she took off two strips of cloth. "As a test, you will have to find the owners of these clothes." Her crimson eyes watched the reactions of the trio intently. _"It seems that a certain chūnin told her, and she told the boys."_ The Yūhi smiled and threw the cloth to them. "You will have until sunset to find your targets, or else you won't pass." Kurenai had good expectations from them, having worked with their fellow clan members on missions. "By the way, none of these are mine." She disappeared in a cloud of petals.

The Aburame turned to his team, holding the clues given. "As Hinata-san told us, we will have to join efforts. Taking into account that she's a jōnin, it would be safe to assume that our targets are close in rank to our instructor." Shino offered the clothes to the Inuzuka. "Could you give us an estimate of our targets' specs?" Kiba sniffed the purple cloth along with Akamaru. "It smells like dango... Hmm... I would say it's a female around twenty years or more." Then he turned to the black cloth. "Ah? I smell a male close to thirty years. It smells like the open hot springs and... Gross!" Kiba slapped the cloth off Shino's hand, startling both him and Hinata and Akamaru began digging a hole to bury the offending article.

The Aburame rubbed his stinging hand while staring at his cringing teammate. "Explain your behavior." Kiba hesitated to speak up. "It belongs to a pervert! Why would someone be jacking off while wearing clothes at that place if they weren't peeping?" Hinata tilted her head. "Jack off?" The boys turned silent at her innocent question. "You tell her Shino, I spoke too much." The Aburame had an eerie glint to his sunglasses. "It was you who introduced her to the term, it's only fitting that you tell her the definition you meant to use." Akamaru whimpered at the intense standoff between them.

* * *

 **Who will be the one to tell Hinata what Kiba meant? Will Team 8 manage to pass Kurenai's test?  
**

 **Tengus have an extra pair of limbs, the wings on their back, being like humans overall; different from harpies and sirens, who have arms turned wings.  
**


	11. Chapter 10

Under the combined stares of both of his teammates, Kiba broke down and told Hinata what 'jack off' meant, leaving him feeling like burying himself and her with a tomato face and close to fainting. "Now that it's out of the way, we must get going, for we are on a time limit." Shino saw that they were unresponsive and decided to drag them by the scruff. *Whine?* Akamaru trailed behind, curious about the intent of the Aburame with his partner. "The river was around... here." The bug user approached the water and threw the catatonic duo inside.

"Bueegh-! Why did you do this, Shino?" Kiba was outraged at the rough treatment while Hinata simply waded to land and began wringing her clothes dry. "I simply planned to awaken you and Hinata-san from your stupor, and this was the simplest method." After both were mostly dry, Shino told them his plan to finish Kurenai's assignment. "Hinata-san will go after the female, Kiba gave us the clue about dangos." He turned to the Inuzuka. "You go after the male." Before Kiba could protest, Shino got an eerie glint on his glasses. "I'll tell the Hyūga head about your indiscretion then."

The boy and his dog shuddered at the idea of having the stern man after their skin, picturing Hiashi with a long and sharp katana on hands. "Fine! I'll go with Akamaru. But what will you do?" Shino adjusted his sunglasses. "I put some of my kikai on Kurenai-sensei, I shall track her down so we can shorten our search time." His teammates nodded in understanding, focused in succeeding in their respective roles. "Best of luck to us!" Kiba caught the introverted duo in a bear hug, lifting then and doing a few spins while Akamaru pranced around them.

* * *

Hinata went to the places where dango was available, using her byakugan to see who had high chakra levels, as they had better chances to be jōnin. "Wait, what's that?" She spotted a female pigging out on the sweets who had a strange chakra color on her neck, it was a sinister inky purple, but she ignored it in favor of her goal. "Excuse me miss, are you acquainted with Yūhi Kurenai?" Anko looked at the mousy girl standing by her. "Why do you ask?" Hinata told her about what the red-eyed female told her, making Anko remember the letter given to her.

"Yeah, she gave me something you need, but you know..." Anko drawled with a smirk that gave chills to Hinata. "Information has a cost." The Hyūga saw the pile of plates and sticks, figuring her addiction to the food. "What about a deal?" The tokubetsu jōnin had her interest increased, maybe this girl wasn't as skittish as she had thought. "What do you have that could be traded?" Hinata met her eyes with confidence. "Give me what I need, and I will let you put your dango expenses on my clan's tab for one month."

Anko had the eyes of a snake who spotted a nice and plump bird. "Six months." Hinata saw her desire, it was as plain as black on white. "One and a quarter." The Mitarashi gritted her teeth. "Four." The Hyūga didn't let herself be intimidated, her father was much scarier. "One and a half." Anko pulled out Kurenai's letter in a fit of annoyance. "Fine, make it two!" Hinata accepted it and put the paper in her hoodie pocket. "Come to my clan compound later so I can inform my father about our deal." The purplehead ground her teeth at the smaller allowance, gnashing at the bamboo sticks. _"Tch-! She only let me double it..."_

* * *

Kiba had a grimace as he waited at the hot spring's entrance, as Akamaru was inside searching for the owner of the clue given by Kurenai. _"Come on, buddy hurry up!"_ The reason for the Inuzuka to not have entered the place was the threats issued by his mother and sister if they ever found out he was sniffing around the female area, and the possible reaction of the many kunoichis he saw enter a little earlier. The brunet crouched, his legs were getting tired. Then his furry friend came out, barking the confirmation that the man was inside. "Okay, point him out for me when he comes out."

The thing is... Kiba didn't have to pursue the male, as the pervert got smoked out by the females inside and knocked out cold. One of the kunoichis dragged the limp body outside, not seeing the canine boy, as he hid himself and his puppy beforehand. "I still don't know why scum like you are still on the active roster." She patted clean her hands and returned inside, letting the Inuzuka inspect the downed male. "Oh, I can smell something belonging to Kurenai-sensei. Can you find it?" Akamaru messed around inside the flak vest and pulled out an envelope.

Kiba examined the paper and frowned, what should he do now? "Let's go Akamaru, we have to find that creepy weirdo." He was about to start walking when... "So that's what my teammate thinks about me?" The Inuzuka heard that monotone voice too close to his ear and dashed a short distance away. "That was spooky! That's what I mean by creepy, Shino!" The Aburame ignored his complaints and began walking. "We must meet Hinata-san, I already found Kurenai-sensei's general location."

* * *

Menma had finished his breakfast and now was wandering around the village to distract himself. _"Should I buy cinnamon rolls for Hinata?"_ He passed by a mobile stall with interesting products. Also, the vendor stirred up something in his memories. "Greetings lad, feel free to look and ask anything." Some metal chains had strange colors, ranging from red to green and all over the rainbow. Menma picked a necklace with bluish silver chain and a transparent crystal pendant, that looked like glass. "Oh, that's what people in my homeland use for wedding vows."

"Did you say wedding?" Warashi smirked when his client froze then got flustered. "Yes, the crystal, when charged with chakra, changes colors to match the person." Menma stared at the diamond cut, wondering which color it would take with his chakra. "Two people exchanging collars with their own color is seen as a serious relationship. Will you buy it?" The redhead put down the item, shaking his head, and looked at the selection of books. "Hm? That one is 'Undying Love', it's based on an important person in my country."

The vendor had a smile. "It's quite popular, and apparently based on real facts to an extent." He picked it and offered to Menma, who looked at the kitsune and ryū on the cover. "Wanna buy it? The amount comes up to 700 ryō." The chūnin saw a few pages, and the back cover resume sounded interesting. "Yes, here." Warashi accepted the coins and waved his customer goodbye. "Come back for more purchases. I'll order the series if you want." Once the boy was out of sight, the tanuki had a nagging feeling that he forgot an important fact. "... Ah... I forgot the erotic bits..."

Menma had gone to an empty park to read. It was different from the usual, the main pair was described as nonhumans, and the setting was at a kind of warring era. When he got to page 69, his face got the same color as his hair. _"She did what with her tail‽" _Apparently the female lead had a very smooth tail, being an ryū, making him wonder how the male kitsune lead was feeling. _"It's better than that Icha Icha trash!"_ Then Menma noticed one thing about the characters. _"The descriptions match me and Hinata almost too much!"_ The only exception was the animal parts.

* * *

Shino's tiny partners had guided the team to where Kurenai waited for them. "Genjutsu..." There was one last block between them and graduation, an illusion supported by seals, so it would be difficult for them to break it. "Shino-san, Kiba-san, I see two seals at a distance from here. And sensei is here, hidden by the genjutsu." Shino sent his chakra draining specimens to the places indicated by the girl, a few minutes later a female adult flickered into sight before them. "Congratulations on finding me, Team 8." Kiba had a question. "What's on these papers we got?" Kurenai accepted the envelopes. "I made a bet with the people you found. If you managed to get it, they will have to pay me a certain amount."

"Whoohoo! Yeah!" After Kurenai had confirmed their passing of the last test and Kiba finished commemorating while holding his teammates again, Hinata went to try and find Menma, hoping that the Hokage didn't send the redhead in another mission yet. She found him reading a book intently and approached him. "Menma-kun!" For some reason the boy flipped out at her voice, shutting the book and hiding it. _"Damn, why did she arrive at the first lemon chapter?"_ The girl got curious at his beet coloring, wondering what was in the novel to make him react like that.

"Let me see what you were reading, please?" Menma kept dodging Hinata's attempts at taking the book from his hands. He couldn't let her see the smutty bits, so he threw the book with as much force he could muster. - Warashi was walking on the streets when he spotted a pretty kunoichi with long black and wavy hair. "Hello, I'm Warashi. May I know your name?" She turned to face him, those enchanting red eyes were like rubies. "I'm Kurenai." Before he could speak, a book hit his cranium and knocked him out. "Oh, my..."

* * *

A large crow landed on the windowsill, getting the attention of a brunette female. "Reports? Thanks for your service." A plate with sorted nuts and jerky was left for the bird to feast on while Mamizou looked over the papers sent by her subordinates. _"Most of them have settled well in their villages. Oh, the Kaminari no Kuni project has worked without a hitch."_ Then her eyes fell on the last report, that came from Konoha. _"It came from... Warashi."_ The paper detailed how he had come to face a peculiar girl from the Hyūga clan, one known for its whitish eyes.

 _"Like Hamura-ji-san..."_ Were they part of the human descendency left by him long ago? She shook her head and kept reading. _"Oh, gods... Anego reincarnated there!"_ The tanuki stationed at that village was one of the most dedicated to his job, he wouldn't dare to use lies against her. She had expected the ryū to have been born in the monster continent, their group had always started a new life in these lands after getting approved by the Enma for revival. And it brought forth one issue, her memories would surface sooner or later, if her powers were found out by humans, they might try to use her for their own ends. _"Who should I send to ensure her safety?"_

There was also a certain sandy beast that had to be dealt with. The scholars got interested in Gaara, noting that his seal acted similarly to prison seals for summoned familiars. They had the means to break it but considering most prisons were etched on rock instead of flesh and that the process of unlocking left even mountains as dust in the wind... Well, humans aren't known for being particularly resilient to harm. "... Damn, such a pain in the neck..." She took off the pince-nez and rubbed her eyes, monsters usually had simple desires, not caring to hide behind politics or manipulation like humans did.

About Gaara, he was still introverted, as having a nutjob in your head screeching every minute of the day did nothing to help with sanity. But intense sessions with bakus and nightmares, as they could access the mindscape where Shukaku was, helped with recovering the mental health of both jinchūriki and Bijū. Mamizou had been surprised when he requested learning how to be a good merchant, as the child seemed to think that peddling was a way to share a bond with her.

* * *

 **Is there someone you want to see in this universe that I'm yet to use? Put their names on a review or PM.**

 **Baku: they look like the Malayan tapir, eating bad dreams and foul memories. Nightmares are centaurs who feed on dreams, both good and bad, having also the ability to take a person along on their back to the dream zone.  
**


	12. Chapter 11

Menma kept dodging Hinata's questions about the book, so the girl dropped the subject. She sat down with him, watching the clouds drift by. "Did you pass?" She nodded, seeing his grin at her success. "Good to know, maybe I'll go see your teammates some time." He leaned his back on the bench, his eyes pointed to the sky. Hinata turned her gaze to his facial marks, running a finger over the fine hair. It was soft to the touch and only she had the privilege to feel the marks without him reacting badly. "Mm... that tickles..." Yet he leaned on her hand, enjoying the touch. Gold and pearl eyes met, displaying a bond beyond time and death for an instant.

Their faces seemed to be drawn magnetically, inching closer as they adjusted their postures. Their gazes didn't stray from each other, ignoring the world. Hinata could feel her heart speeding up and a strange warmth on her birthmark, he was someone who sparked new emotions within her. _"Okaa-san said that it's romantic love..."_ Menma's senses were in overdrive, picking up her lavender shampoo and her delicate features, wondering why he hadn't paid attention before. _"She got a nice scent, it's making me feel fuzzy..."_

Once they connected with a chaste kiss, something seemed to simply click on its place, it felt so right to them. She brushed her hands on his cheeks, feeling his jawline under her fingers and holding him in place. He held her waist, slowly pulling her to his lap, marveling at the softness that her coat couldn't hide. "So..." Menma pulled back slightly. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Hinata giggled and gave him a peck on the lips. "Of course, 'boyfriend'." Their foreheads touched as they took a breather. "I guess that I have to face your father now." She sighed, hugging his neck. "Even if he forbids it, I'm a ninja now. I take my own path." Their eyes met again and they shared a smile, it was as if this was meant to happen.

 _"Wowza, baby!"_ *Subdued dog panting.* _"This development is quite interesting."_ Three peepers watched the free show, having hoped for a chance to know their teammate better. The canine duo was acting like girls during a chick flick, swooning at the sweetness of the scene, while the bug enthusiast pulled out a flashless camera, giving it to his partners for a good angle. _"What I wouldn't give to have a chick to do this with!"_ *Cheerful tail wagging.* _"Move just a centimeter to the left. Now point down at thirty degrees."_ Kiba and Akamaru held back their typical bawling at sugary goodness reserved for Hana's cheesy romances, while Shino gave orders to his kikai for a good shot. _"Oh, the picture got out nice. Hm...?"_ *Curious head tilt.* _"Wait a sec! Are they...?"_ They bailed out once it got a teensy bit more frisky.

* * *

Kurenai set down the passed out male face down on her couch and decided to read the book that had knocked him out. "Oh, how interesting!" Like Menma before her, the woman liked the novelty of nonhumans. Her eyes flickered towards her guest, who had woken up and was peeking at her from behind the armrest. "That book belongs to a buyer of mine, you can get a copy with me." Her interest was sparked with this. "So you are the seller. I had never seen literature like this, it's quite tasteful." He smiled like a cat, propping his chin on the sofa.

"If you like it, I can order the series." Kurenai was surprised. "Sell me this one and I'll see if I want more." He told her the value and accepted the money, taking a mental note to give a new one to Menma. Warashi wasn't the skirt-chaser type, but he had to admit that this female was quite attractive. _"Is she single? I should ask her when it becomes less awkward to question."_ The woman glanced at the male, noting his behavior around her. _"So he's interested in me, yet doesn't act like a sleaze..."_

She had far too many distasteful flirting attempts done on her by her fellow ninjas, so feeling the polite attention Warashi gave her was a nice change. "You know... I haven't seen you around before." He turned around on the sofa, getting on his back. "I'm a merchant, my organization wants to make links to the Elemental Nations. We're trying to make competition through our exotic wares, as we have things you don't." Kurenai got interested, ninja rarely got involved with merchants outside of escort missions. They chatted amiably for a good time until he looked at her wall clock and got up. "Well, it's a pity, but I must get going."

* * *

Menma and Hinata were about to go to sleep in their own houses when they began hearing the voices that claimed to be their past selves. Now they couldn't pass them off as hallucinations anymore. - The girl faced her vanity mirror, seeing the female ryū. **"I trust everything went well."** Hinata felt that she had to tell the woman she couldn't try to find the alleged husband they had. _"I can't go after your love, I already have my own boyfriend."_ \- The boy faced his kunai, seeing the kitsune's eyes facing his, having claimed the same as his girlfriend to the beast. **"Oh... may you describe her, then?" -** Both teens were confused, but relented, pouring out their emotions in describing their chosen companion.

The monsters were silent, mulling over the facts given by the youths. **"Heh... destiny gave us a reprieve for a change... Haha, to think that s/he was already close to us... this is so nice!"** Of any reaction from them, the humans were expecting outrage or disappointment, not some strange variation of amusement. They waited for the beings to cease their chuckling and explain their response. **"Child, haven't you figured it yet?"** At the puzzled expressions of the teenagers, the creatures told them. **"The reason for you to feel such a strong bond with her/him is that s/he is our spouse, that reincarnated like we did." **The couple was surprised at hearing this, but it made sense, their relationship felt so right.

 _"That's good to know, but how will I tell her/him about our past, about you?"_ The creatures thought about it. **"Tell her/him only when you're sure nobody else will hear. We have powers that will surface sooner or later."** The monsters looked at their present selves. **"For now you're only another couple, but once the truth about us come out, we must be strong to hold back those consumed with greed for power."** They relayed to the children their skills that would be unlocked with time, preparing their minds for the changes that would come as their bodies began the transition from human to monster.

* * *

As team 8 took the mandatory D-ranks for rookies, weeks went by. Menma, in behalf of Hinata's safety, had pressured Kurenai to teach her pupils advanced chakra control and introduce nature manipulation to them. "It's never too early to learn, and they will need these skills to survive." The jōnin had begrudgingly accepted his point, besides, it seemed that her fellow instructors were yet to get the same idea. Kiba and Shino had gotten Dōton and Katon respectively, but Hinata had been a surprise, holding Raiton, Suiton and Fūton natures.

Menma's nerves about Hiashi and his desire to get to know Hinata beyond friendship led to him delaying the talk to after his last mission. Two months after their first kiss and many discrete dates in between, it was time for him to face her parents and get 'official' permission to date her. He had taken a bath to wash off 'mission stink' and put nicer clothes than usual, putting on garbs similar to what most Hyūga used at their compound. _"I hope he doesn't simply kick me out."_ He had planned to have Hitomi in the same room to hold the man back from castrating him. Too bad that his girl was in a C-rank out of the village. _"Good luck, me."_

The head of the clan had accepted his request after finishing some loose ends, which took a few minutes that grated on his frayed willpower. Now the redhead was sitting before the parents of his girlfriend, sweating bullets and holding back his nervousness. "What brings you here, boy?" "Be nice, Hiashi." Menma gulped and bowed his head. "I... came here to make... a request." Whitish eyes became cold as steel, fatherly instincts kicking in. "Say it at once." The teen sweated some more under the glare. "I want your blessing..." Hitomi gripped her husband's thigh, sensing he was about to pounce. "... to date Hinata..." Menma felt a burst of intent to kill/maim/castrate and reigned in his flight urges.

* * *

Minato was holding his head while cringing, his office seemed to mirror his darkened mood. "One squad was almost eliminated after a confrontation with a stronger monster..." The heavily injured ninjas described it as a type of centaur with a strange lower body, resembling a crocodilian, but not quite. He had sent the order to recall the chūnin squads, it was too risky to keep them sniffing for tracks. A ruffling of cloth alerted him, there was an intruder behind him! It was a brunet male with a brown suit, sporting a sinister grin. "Hello, Hokage-sama. May I get a moment؟" His expression left no space for protests.

He adjusted his lapel and sat down before the blond Kage. "I am an integrant of the Danzaburō guild from the monster continent." Minato was stunned, having expected him to be a nukenin from another village. "We seek more consumers. But I have a secondary mission." Hazel met blue, a smirk playing on the tanuki's lips. "Find the friend of my boss, the Kyūbi no Kitsune." Minato leaped from his seat to lunge at this stranger, his special kunai on hand. "What a pity." Only to be parried by claws and feel a grip around his neck, his tri-kunai embedded on a wall. Warashi showed his fangs to the Hokage, enjoying the power trip. "I lived longer than anyone in this village, and I have faced faster opponents."

A slight tightening made the blond fear for his life, the office had softened him. "Are you trying to take over Konoha?" The tanuki smirked lazily, letting out his ears and tail, a rumbling laugh emanating from his throat. "We have no need for this place. But it's necessary to have goodwill for the sake of the Bijū and his wife." Warashi watched the reaction of the Yondaime, who went through rage and nervousness to acceptance and defeat. "Seeing that I won't need to dodge kunais for now..." He dropped the human like a bag, brushing his suit clean of wrinkles. "Besides that, we dislike bloodshed. So, will you hear me calmly?" Minato could only listen to the monster.

* * *

 **The unknown monster is a wyrm, I changed it from lamia-type to centaur-type. The lower body resembles large lizards such as komodos, with scale plates of crocs on the back. The tongue is bifid and they can turn their human hands into the claws shown in mge wiki.**

 **Whew... the kiss scene was a struggle with myself to write. Was it rushed? Too corny? Not enough fluff? You judge it. Couldn't resist putting a peanut gallery as well.**

 **26 favorites and follows...** **I guess that I'll throw in a bonus.**

* * *

A fuckton of time in the past, before Hagoromo's dickery:

Shukaku was grinning as he watched his brother Kurama beat himself over how to ask out their uncle's apprentice. **"Come on, bro. It's not that hard, just ask 'Do you want to be my mate?' and wait for the answer."** The kitsune glared at the tanuki, letting go of his own fur before he got bald spots, he had to look pristine after all. **"Then how did you get Mamizou to accept you?"** Shukaku simply shook his head and smirked. **"She loves having things to sell for suckers, so I just showed off my abilities. After we did it, of course."** Kurama feigned gagging and puking noises. **"I don't want to know about your nasty private life!"**

His simian brother was no help at all, the burly male had cackled at his questioning. **"My darling Wukong chose me because of my muscles!"** Gokū had flexed his pecs before his vulpine sibling. **"I just want a hint on how to not mess up..."** Kurama saw his brother Isobu in the distance, sunbathing after a sea trip. Kokuō wasn't far as well, trotting in their direction. **"Hey!"** Three and Five met Nine halfway, having heard of his situation from One. **"Shukaku told us, we 'll try to help you with Hina-san."** The fox vowed to beat the shit out the loose-mouthed tanuki. The turtle racked his brain to recall how his dear otohime became so smitten with him and the horse did the same with his hakutaku.

Maybe I'll continue if you ask for it.


	13. Chapter 12

Menma swallowed his fear and faced Hiashi with a straight back. "Sir, I honestly care for your daughter." The Hyūga lost some of his steam. "I love her, and I will support her as much I can." Hitomi smiled at the teen's sincerity, her child got a good partner. "Even if you must discard your name to marry her?" Menma hardened his gaze. "We both know what 'Uzumaki' means, my mother was the heir to her homeland." Hiashi calmed down, having seen his seriousness. "I intend to search for the lost knowledge of my clan once I become jōnin or reach sixteen." This boy wasn't as foolish as his peers, having wisened up through his struggles. "What I offer besides being Hinata's companion, is the chance to have a link with my clan." This would be a good bargaining chip to make the clan elders swallow their tantrums.

"Very well, you have convinced me." Hiashi sighed, getting a giggle from his wife. "You have my blessing, make my daughter happy by your side." He tapped a hidden chamber under the low table, making Hitomi frown and Menma pale. "If she ever comes to us with tears of sadness because of you..." He pulled out a katana with a regal appearance, unsheathing it and pointing the blade at the teen. "I shall make even your ancestors regret bringing you to life." The Uzumaki gulped dryly, nodding in agreement. "If that ever happens, I will present myself to you." The room was emptied of the stiffness as the meeting came to a close. "I thank you for letting me date Hinata." Menma bowed to the couple and left the compound. "You know, Hiashi..." He turned to Hitomi. "If you had said no, I would have overruled you and made you sleep at the storage shed." The man got nervous at this, thanking the heavens for taking the right choice.

After turning into a deserted alley, Menma let himself lean against the wall, the ire of a father was at another level, much above simple bandits or nukenin. **"Holy fucking shit, the last time I felt something like that was from Hamura-ji-san when I asked for permission to court Hinata back then."** Kurama had become more active since that night, giving Menma advice and training tips, instructing the boy about his control over fire. _"Who's Hamura?"_ The kitsune sifted through his memories. **"From what I saw, he's the ancestor of the Hyūga. He was on our side, he didn't want the monsters to be sealed."** This was another thing Menma was learning, the history of the Rikudō Sannin lost to time. _"I would have liked to meet him, he sounds nicer than Hagoromo."_ He heard the beast let out a forlorn sigh. **"Yeah, he tried to call his brother on his hypocrisy, but failed..."**

He recomposed himself and went home to change into training gear. "Nii-san!" Naruto was also there, almost bouncing with contained energy. "What do you want, Naruto?" The blonde stopped moving and fidgeting. "Kakashi-sensei said we were done with D-ranks for today. Can I train with you?" Golden met blue. "Fine." The younger twin almost hollered in joy. "But I have a limit on chatter. And I'll only train you on the basics of elements, for now." Naruto pouted at Menma. "Doing basic training is boring!" It earned him a cheek pinch. "It's where you have to start to get to my level, no shortcuts." The blonde sighed exaggeratedly. "You're a bully!" The redhead turned to his twin. "Then go train alone." It shut up the jinchūriki nicely.

* * *

Team 8 was in an escort mission for one of the lesser nobles, a distant cousin of the Daimyō around sixteen of age. He was a bit on the pudgy side, but his brown eyes and hair coupled with a reasonable physique and wealth made him be considered desirable by females. But he had his brand of pride and only chased after women he thought acceptable for his level, and the Hyūga clan was counted in that group. He had attempted to 'seduce' Hinata with his riches and influence, only to be rebuffed by the girl in a polite manner. "Excuse me, Masahiro-san, but I must decline." Sadly, he saw her responses as 'playing hard to get' and became more insistent on his advances.

"Please reconsider, our families would benefit from having a union through us." He tried to catch her hand, but she slapped it aside. "But can you handle me?" At his suggestive brow waggling, she punched a tree with Jūken hard enough to blow a hole through it. Masahiro undignifiedly fell on his bum as the tree groaned under its own weigh and crashed beside him. It could have been a young specimen, no more than an adult's palm in diameter and less than three meters tall, but it sent the point across. "What do you think?" Hinata blew off some sawdust from her hand and resumed walking, leaving a male pissing himself in fear.

Kurenai was curious at the reason the girl was so cranky, she was usually nice and gentle. "Kiba, Shino, do you know why your teammate is like that?" The Aburame began buzzing awkwardly and the Inuzuka was whistling innocently. "Answer your instructor." The boys shook their heads. "Then I'll change the training from general to genjutsu only." They cracked a little at that. "And maybe call Maito Gai to help you on taijutsu." Kiba was the first to fall. "Hinata misses Menma!" Shino followed after with an explanation. "They have been courting for around one month already." It surprised Kurenai, as Asuma had started a betting poll about the couple. _"So Hana-san is the one who will get the money, Kiba must have blabbed to her."_

* * *

 _"Can you tell me about our family on the other continent?"_ Hinata heard a chuckle in her mind. **"Of course. Mamizou nee-chan is the one who closely aided me in dealing with the monsters, she was good with diplomacy and bargaining."** The girl smiled softly, hearing tales about her past friends, wondering if she would have the chance to meet them one day. **"I still can remember how much she got angry with Ran-san, and it was just because they disagreed if it would rain or not."** The girl had secretly trained 'Hina's' skill with bones, seeing how the white material surfaced from her skin painlessly. **"We have two versions, white and grey. White is about the level of metal weapons, but grey..."**

Hina disliked using it, as it killed with simply a graze. It was to be the last resource, for when her foe truly wanted her dead. Hinata practiced changing her bones into ninja tools, such as senbon and shuriken, speeding up the transformation gradually until she could use it in combat reliably. Both Hinata and Menma had attempted to make their monster traits arise, but failed. The girl was told by Hina that whenever one of their family was born as a human instead of their original species, they had to ingest a special pill to kickstart the changes so their bodies matched their soul. Otherwise, through the contact with the ambient yōki of their homeland, they would instead match the prevalent monster race in a region or into one that matched their personality.

Hinata wondered if she could try asking Warashi, his merch pointed to a monster background. Besides that, maybe the familiarity she felt was due to her instincts recognizing him as kin. _"Do you know what that merchant could be?"_ The ryū analyzed Hinata's memories of the male. **"I'm certain that he's a tanuki, his lapel had the kanji most used to represent the Danzaburō guild, founded by Mamizou-nee herself."** From what Hina had told her, it seemed that this woman was still alive, and certainly searching for them. Maybe Warashi wasn't in Konoha by chance and was keeping an eye on her and Menma. **"I agree with you, she can be quite devious if she desires to be."** _"Now I really need to talk to him when we return!"_

* * *

Warashi had pulled a stack of formularies for Minato to look over. "Keep in mind that only the races better suited for Hi no Kuni will be sent here." The blonde saw the requirements that asked for him to find a way for humans to accept the creatures peacefully. "Anyways, it's good to see that I am the first one to meet you-" "You're not." Warashi had cut Minato suddenly. "What?" The tanuki smirked at his disbelief. "Ā was the first, and he did quite well in my opinion." Minato was shocked to hear that the Raikage already had monsters integrated to Kumo's ranks, but considering what his interrogators had extracted from the kidnapper they kept as a hostage, he should have expected it. _"Albino people without eyes..."_ Maybe once he got more trust from the tanuki he could pry for information. And there was the Obito issue as well, if only he managed to get the monsters spy network...

"So, Hokage-sama, will you accept the terms to take my kin under your care?" The Yondaime turned to Warashi. "First, look at this report and tell me who attacked them." The merchant perused the descriptions given and the location of the incident. "Oh dear, they met a nesting wyrm, they're lucky to not have casualties or amputations." Minato got fearful the fact that just one specimen could cause this amount of damage. "But don't worry too much, our policy is to leave humans alone when unprovoked. And wyrms are among the slower reproducing races due to their power and lifespan." The Hokage wasn't very happy with the response, but it should suffice for now.

"Your land will have a trial period in a few months. If we hear about persecution, the yōkai nation will retrieve its citizens." Warashi had a steely gaze. "That includes the Kyūbi." The Namikaze knew that he couldn't fuck this one chance he was given. "Oh, and you should raise the standards of your Academy, compared to Kumo, Konoha is simply pitiful. You replaced quality with quantity. Tsk, tsk..." Once Warashi departed his office, leaving a lot of information to digest, Minato knew that he had to get to work immediately. He traced development plans based on the general guidelines given by the tanuki. _"According to these maps and reports, the western forest range could be used by them."_ He kept digging treaties and reports to find out which lands were still unclaimed so the monsters could settle peacefully. There was also the issue with the Daimyō, who could veto his project and screw up things. _"Warashi told me that the Raikage provided his with proof that monsters could be a beneficial addition."_

* * *

 **I'm still trying to decide how I should deal with Naruto's chakra portion, as it will run out eventually. Very well, at least Hitomi-chan bothered to give me an answer, so I'll give the continuation.  
**

* * *

How did Kurama ask for Hinata's hand the first time? Keep reading: _  
_

After speaking with his more sensible brothers, Kurama had an idea of how to propose to Hinata, but there was an issue. She got adopted by Ōtsutsuki Hamura, technically his uncle, so he would have to talk with him. _ **"Fuck me... he's vicious when she's involved..."**_ The fox gulped in fear, he had seen the fallout of a stupid tatsu suitor who had demanded the man to hand over the girl, using its original body to 'intimidate' Hamura. _**"There were so many mountains broken with a single body..."**_ Hamura had used only one attack to send the poor bastard to a mountain range and make dragon-shaped craters on three in a row, leaving a massive dent on the fourth. If one looked at that specific mountain range, they could see the holes punched on them.

Kurama had assumed his human appearance as the place he would visit wasn't suited for his natural behemoth size, Hamura lived in a mountain village with his wife Yurie and his children. _**"Gods, let me come out unharmed."**_ He had clad himself with regal-looking robes, his uncle was in a standing where anything less would be unacceptable. Wild red hair going down to the middle of his back went along with rust red clothing decorated by golden maple leaves embroidered along the sleeves. _"Please, don't kick me out."_ He knew that Hinata had gone to visit Shirahoshi, Isobu's companion, so he wouldn't have her presence to soothe his nerves.

Golden eyes gazed over the Japanese-style mansion given to Hamura by his past pupils. It was the proof of how much the man was loved, having been crafted from the sturdiest materials and decorated lavishly, holding runes carefully engraved to make it last even longer. "Hello, Kurama. What brought you here?" The male faced his uncle, recovering his will and reminding himself of his purpose. "I came to talk with you and Yurie-ba-san." The Ōtsutsuki nodded and motioned for his nephew to follow him. Kurama was sitting in seiza before his uncle and aunt, waiting for the question. "What did you wish to tell us?" The redhead faced the whitehead, swallowing the nervous bile. "I wish to take Hinata as my mate." At this, he got pressed under an ocean of paternal overprotectiveness. "Why should I consider you, even if you are my nephew, an option for my child?"

Time to face the daddy rage, will Kurama survive?


	14. Chapter 13

Menma had been given a temporary break since his last mission, it was one week of rest, and he already used the first day to talk with Hiashi and spar against Naruto. Hinata's team would take five days to do the round trip for their mission, leaving solely two days free to spend with her if he was lucky. **"Yanno... why don't you talk with that merchant?"** Kurama chimed in during the boredom of his second day. _"Why? Is he one of us?"_ The teen was at the Konoha library, studying on seals. **"Yep, a tanuki. Find a way to talk with him in private."** Maybe the peddler could answer some things Kurama didn't know well or even provide additional learning material.

Menma put down the book with a frustrated sigh. _"I hope that I find better scrolls in the Hokage library, these instructions are too vague."_ **"Yeah, it's almost if someone were... sabotaging the records."** So it could have been the usual spies, who infiltrated villages and subtlely devalued their knowledge, or someone from Konoha was purposely hiding information. _"Well there's no point in worrying about it, I'll just tell the Hokage and let him deal with it."_ Menma resumed his learning about seals, occasionally receiving chimes from Kurama as he commented on the current seal the boy looked at. The days went by while Menma trained nonstop, sometimes giving tips for his twin while the blond bemoaned the flux of exclusively D-ranks Kakashi forced his team to do.

It was the day Hinata and her team would return from their mission, so Menma was stationed by the gates, waiting for them to come into sight. He was reading the book sold by Warashi, the tanuki told him he was the one struck by the projectile thrown by the boy that day. The chūnin was yet to ask the merchant about their shared history, having used his free time to identify the seals present on Minato's office at the Namikaze house, suspecting they were put there to ensure privacy from prying ears and eyes, and he had confirmed it. The redhead had wasted some more time trying to find a method to activate it and succeeded. _"Now I have a place to talk with the seller and Hinata when that geezer isn't there."_

* * *

During the remainder of the mission, Team 8's escort kept a healthy distance from Hinata, having received a dose of fear from the girl thanks to her stunt. As an added bonus, she had hunted for hares and made a point to gut them in front of the fop, terrifying him further through the visage of a butcher. "Hinata-chan, didn't you go too far?" Kurenai had chided her, but Kiba and Shino showed a strange supportiveness for her acts, irking their instructor. "Now that he's finally at his family's mansion, let's return to Konoha." The red-eyed female saw her pupils cheer at being free from the load and going home. "We must use as most daylight we can, so don't slack!"

Hinata kept to the front of her team, holding herself from breaking into a full run. Masahiro had been a huge pain in the rear, but now the torture was over. Sadly, they had to stop to camp for the night, otherwise, they would tire their bodies needlessly. "Yo, Hinata." Kiba had approached her with Akamaru and sat by her on the log. "That friend of yours... Menma. Can you arrange a spar with him for me?" She blushed at the name but nodded. "He also wants to meet you and Shino-san." The puppy made himself at home on her lap. "Hinata-san, may I sit as well?" The Aburame was standing behind the trio. "Of course." The Inuzuka pulled him and now they were all seated.

"That guy really worries about you, Hinata!" Kiba told his team of how some jōnin delayed teaching about elemental chakra, having heard about it from his sister. "Yet Kurenai-sensei introduced us to the subject, merely a week after our graduation." The canine boy had a smirk. "You know..." Hinata got a bad feeling from his teasing gaze. "I wonder why a chūnin was so interested in an Academy graduate, even if they are the same age." Her face had a burning feel rising gradually. "T-that is...!" Both boys patted her on the back and the dog barked. "Don't sweat it, I can smell how interested he is on you!" Inuzukas could detect sexual attraction between a pair and whether they had been intimate, the same went to the Aburames. "We'll support your relationship!" Seeing Shino nod at Kiba's declaration, Hinata was resembling a tomato.

Kurenai gave additional training for her wards after checking how far they came into their control over elements, having suggested Hinata to focus on Raiton for the moment. The genin had to try and cause the same reactions as chakra paper on regular leaves, increasing the amount with proficiency. The Yūhi also made them take the arboreal path to train tree-walk. With this routine, they burned through a day of the journey, and now Konoha was in sight. Once the girl spotted a familiar tone of red at the village's gates, she finally broke into a sprint. "Menma-kun!" She jumped on his arms, too happy at meeting him again. The reunited couple ignored Team 7, who was about to set off on their own escort mission.

* * *

Team 8 left the lovebirds for themselves, deciding to wait for her to file the report. Menma heard Hinata complain about Masahiro and held his urges to go and beat him black and blue. "I spoke with your father..." She got worried at his tone, had Hiashi...? "He and your mother gave their blessings to us." After she processed this, she gave her boyfriend a kiss, happy with this turn of events. "I'm so glad!" He gave out a short laugh. "I feared he wouldn't let us date..." They separated and he went for her favorite bakery to get cinnamon rolls. "I'll be there when you finish the debriefing." She nodded and went with her team to the tower.

Minato was talking with Warashi when Kurenai came in with her pupils. "Greetings Kurenai. Well, I shall take my leave." He left before the woman could say anything. "Hokage-sama, why did he-" "That's on a need-to-know basis for now. Give me your mission statements." The jōnin went first, followed by her apprentices, all them toning down Hinata's 'bolder' refusals that Minato didn't think much of, as Masahiro was known for flirting with kunoichi escorts that sometimes ended in almost cullings, like that one time with Anko. "I see... I expect written reports in two days. Dismissed." From there the team went their separate ways for the day, intending to reunite tomorrow to train.

Menma had taken Hinata to his home, wanting to use the privacy provided by Minato's particular office. "Why did you bring me here?" He pushed chakra in the array under the desk, activating it, and turned to his girlfriend. "I remember being Kurama in our past life." She was stunned, she didn't expect him to remember as well. "I'm so glad... I remember too." They got in a tight hug, knowing about their shared lives, then he held her shoulder with a worried expression. "We have to train... I heard Jiraiya talk about a prophecy involving the world." Granted, it was given before monsters were a variable, but the threat still stood. "Yes, people could try to manipulate us..."

Then Hinata recalled something about Warashi. "Hina told me that for us to become yōkai, we need a special medicine. Maybe that merchant has them." He was thoughtful. "We should find a way to bring him here without being too suspicious..." The couple didn't notice a pair of hazel eyes by the door "Bring who here?" They turned sharply, seeing a dog-sized animal staring at them. "Are you...?" The tanuki grew up in size and took human appearance, one they recognized. "It's me, Warashi. Member of Danzaburō guild, and the one tasked with finding you two. Sorry for following you two without saying anything." He confirmed their suspicions of not being human. "Can you help us? We need to unlock our transformation."

The man shook his head sadly. "You must have heard about the pill, but it's not with me." Then he did a 180, smiling brightly. "But Mamizou-sama shall drop by for a visit, maybe she will bring some for you two." Warashi informed them of how their kin was doing business with the Hokage so yōkai could be introduced to Hi no Kuni without issues and provide safety for the couple. "Kumo is already on our side, Raikage-sama is also considering the perks of becoming one of us, as he got a raijū after him." The tanuki bid his farewells to them and left, only to peek his head from behind a wall. "By the way, I got nice aphrodisiacs." It earned him a thrown book. "Get the fuck out!"

* * *

 **Now that the reincarnation issue is out of the way, I shall present you the Nami mission with a twist. And soon we'll see the lovebirds get an official meeting with monsters. I also decided to differentiate the way people refer to the 'monsters', those who are comfy with it will say 'yōkai' and those who aren't will say 'monster'.  
**

* * *

Will Kurama manage to defuse the daddy rage?

The Bijū sweated under the pressure of his uncle's ire, the man had repelled many males who had attempted to court Hinata in the past. "Dear..." Yurie held her husband's shoulder, momentarily distracting him. "Give him a chance, he always treated her well." Hamura frowned but relented. "Very well. I will give you only one chance." Kurama raised his head in surprise, staring at the male before him. "Tell me your honest feelings about Hinata." Hamura's eyes were activated at byakugan level. "But utter a single lie and you shall end in the moon." The redhead felt that breathing was slightly easier now. "I truly love Hinata, I will do everything in my power to keep her happy." The redhead poured out his feelings for the couple, not hiding how much the female had impacted him.

"I have heard enough." Hamura lifted his hand to make his nephew halt. "I see that you are genuine in your affection." Golden eyes widened in surprise and expectancy. "You shall receive our blessings if Hinata accepts your love." Kurama smiled brightly, making the pair smile as well. "Thank you!" He bowed his head to the floor, truly grateful. "Go after her, I heard that she would return today at dusk." The kitsune perked up at this info and rose from his position, bowing again to them in gratitude. "I won't betray your trust, Hamura-ji-san, Yurie-ba-san." As he rushed away, the yuki-onna turned to her husband. "That was quite cruel of you, why didn't you tell him you were already expecting his request?" A sly smirk turned his lips, making his wife giggle. "Every father has to make a suitor sweat before giving permission."

Kurama was sprinting in the direction he knew Hinata would come from, having assumed his full beast appearance to cover much more ground. Looking up to the sky, he could see her in the distance, her nimble form twisting among the clouds. **"Hinata!"** He began calling once they got within hearing range of each other. **"Kurama?"** She descended to his location, wondering why he was so eager in meeting her. **"Is there a problem?"** He shook his head, recovering his breath. **"I just had to tell something to you..."** Hinata tilted her head, curious about what Kurama would say. **"I... I want to be your mate... do you accept?"** He lowered his eyes, not wanting to see her potential rejection. **"I was waiting for you to ask... Yes, I want to be with you too."** She nuzzled him lovingly, both enjoying this new relationship.

That's a wrap on the KuraHina proposal. Is there another Bijū couple you want to see?


	15. Chapter 14

Naruto was gawking at the new sights around him, as this was the first time he had ever stepped out of Konoha. He tried to hold his excitation, but he still bounced on every step and was fidgeting absurdly. "Dobe, it's just an escort mission, you look like an idiot." Sakura voiced her support for Sasuke's words, but Naruto ignored them. _"Nii-san, how did your first mission go?"_ He then thought of how Menma had been in a better mood lately, recalling how he reacted to Hinata's return. _"He looked so happy..."_ Then there was his father, who was more stressed than the usual, apparently, he got so much extra paperwork it wasn't even funny anymore. Naruto skipped over a few puddles, not wanting to get mud on himself.

Skip all the shit until after Zabuza is beat for the first time.

The boys carried the downed jōnin, following the guidance of Tazuna. "Gatō is keeping watch over the water routes, so we'll have to be very secretive to enter Nami unseen." The teens gulped at his seriousness. "Here we are, that boat is our safest route for now." The owner was strangely relaxed in the carpenter's eyes, but for now, he didn't have time to wonder why. "Remember to return it, I need it for a living." The men exchanged a nod and the escort team set for the island, fading into the mist. Occasionally they could hear splashing on the water and felt gazes on them, but there were no attacks. "I hope that tyrant hasn't hired more of you ninja to come after me."

The group walked through the gloomy forest, Tazuna was guiding them towards his home. "I have a daughter and a grandson, they are Tsunami and Inari. I hope both are safe." The building could be seen among the trees, with smoke rising from the chimney. "Maybe you will get a warm meal, she makes good food." But once they got closer, they could see a large grizzly moving closer to the door, so the male genin left their instructor on the ground and left the builder with Sakura. "Let's go, Naruto." They dashed towards the animal, throwing shuriken and holding kunais poised to stab. "Die!" Only to have it skillfully dodge the projectiles and strike them down. The bear held its paws over their throats, making enough pressure to keep them from struggling.

"What happened?" Tazuna saw with shock as his daughter exited the house and went to see how the bear was, moving its fur to see if it had cuts on the skin. "You aren't hurt, right? And who are-" She spotted her father and ran to him. "You're back! I was so worried..." He held her shoulder with a serious face. "Explain what's going on." She nodded and motioned for them to enter the house. "You can let them go, Stan, they are friendly." It snorted hard and lifted its paws, turning into a male with a lumberjack frame and loads of body hair and a plentiful beard. "Fine, but I'll hang around, just in case." The man and the ninjas faced his daughter, waiting for her to start.

"Well... this will sound crazy, but Nami already got free from Gatō's hold, all because of these mons- er... yōkai." She sipped her tea, glancing at the teens. "They came right after you left, otō-san. It seems that they managed to get some kind of control over that man, and used it to return everything he stole from us." Tsunami relayed to them how these creatures came and slaughtered the mercenaries, liberating the females taken to satisfy their lust. "They only want a portion of land to live in, so they sent somebody to talk with the daimyō." Then her eyes became luminous. "They gave hope to us, even Inari..." Tazuna was stunned, since Kaiza's death the boy had become sullen. "He wants to be a grizzly like Stan, saying that he'll protect us." The genin went to train with their teacher, so the bridgebuilder went to check on the village.

"Dear gods..." It was much better than when he left, flourishing with activity. _"Who are these people...?"_ Beings that were clearly not human walked on the streets, and the humans themselves seemed to not think of them as abnormal. _"And the bridge?"_ The man ran to the location, dodging the incoming people. Tazuna was stunned at the sight of the bridge and crossed it, seeing it complete and in use. "What in the world...?" A man he never saw before approached him, wolf ears flicking lazily. "Yo, ossan, are you the one who designed this bridge?" At his feeble nod, the male grinned and his tail swished strongly. "I could feel your passion, the making is quite well done, so it was an honor to finish it for you." Now the elder couldn't hold his emotion, these foreigners helped his homeland to this extent... "Oi! Why are you crying? Did I get something wrong with the bridge?" The werewolf was flustered at the suddenly bawling geezer.

* * *

The Kiri nukenin was bedridden and under the care of Haku, his Hyōton user. "Zabuza-sama, how will you face them after your recovery?" He bit back a groan as his bandages were replaced. "That shitty red eye..." Haku merely heard as the swordsman relayed his plan. The door was opened and Gatō entered the room, making the duo become defensive. "Come in, my master." The eyes of the midget were glazed over, signaling a potent mind control. The female standing behind Gatō made Zabuza's hackles rise, she was clearly an outer being, with those tentacles waving around her. "Who are you?" She laughed at his suspicion. "You got good instincts. How much did this vermin offer you?" The nukenin told her the value honestly, feeling that a lie could shift her mood for the worse.

"Good boy... as a reward, if you drop this fool's request, you shall receive five times that amount. And perhaps, I'll provide extra training for the child." He glanced at Haku, fighting with his work code of completing every mission given. "... fine." A tentacle brought a briefcase to his reach, the Kiri nukenin took it without touching the appendage. "By the way... I have heard of the rebellion in your homeland." His eyes became ferocious at this, his fingers brushing over the Kubikirihōchō. "Now, now, don't glare at me like that. I was thinking of the interests of some honchos back in my land." Her smile kept sending chills down the hardened shinobi's spine. "Why so serious?"

This woman was a mindflayer. Her servitude to the nine daiyōkai was more due to convenience, as she only cared for her own desires. But the group leader had power beyond anyone else, so she also had the intention to never get on their bad side, knowing she could get obliterated. Zabuza's ambition towards his own land was palpable, so she decided to make use of it. If her plan worked, she could get more liberty and get away with some of her debauch acts. She offered promises of power to the Kiri nin, playing with his desires like any of her race enjoyed to do with others. Even if he died, he had the potential to become an ochimusha, and the little servant could become part of the ice-inclined races.

* * *

Menma was wondering how much training he would have to take until he could ascend to jōnin safely, having taken tutelage under most who were already jōnin, except Kakashi and the ANBU guard. Maito Gai had been overjoyed when the boy had requested to train with him and his pupil, Lee. Right now Menma was sparring against the younger of the 'flames of youth' duo while team 9 watched. Neji was watching as the redhead blocked Lee's strikes, matching his speed closely, retaliating with his own. Tenten was polishing her blades by the Hyūga, not very interested. "Neji, do you know who he is?" Pale eyes turned to the brunette. "He is Uzumaki Menma. For some reason I cannot fathom, he decided to court the embarrassment that is my cousin-"

A fist stopped close to his face, an enraged redhead being held back by Lee and Gai. "Take back what you said." The spandex duo was struggling to hold Menma back, he was moving slowly towards Neji. "Why should I? She is certainly not up to the Hyūga standard, she's coddled by her father, who keeps her from getting harmed and always tried to attend to her whims." Golden eyes narrowed in ire and there was a slight wind before the sitting male received a kick to the head from behind. The clone didn't stop there, raining blow after blow on his foe, not caring if he got blocked. The scuffle stopped with the Menma clone holding a kunai against Neji's throat. "She's my girlfriend. And because she's not here to defend herself, I shall leave you with a warning this time."

The real Menma was freed from the hold of the taijutsu users and walked away, the way the sun shone made him look like he had a red aura. Gai turned to Neji, a frown marring his face. "Neji, while I know of the segregation practiced by your clan, I can't agree with your slurs towards your cousin." The Hyūga scoffed. "Of course, the main house always has-" Now Gai was holding his pupil's shirt, lifting the teen from the ground. "I didn't notice how rotten this part of your personality was. I will send you to the Yamanaka to deal with your issues." Neji grunted in annoyance. "If you say so, Gai-sensei." The jōnin got irked by the sarcasm dripping from his words, but took a deep breath and let go. "Let's go, Lee! We must hone our flames of youth!" The pair ran off to their insane training routine.

The Uzumaki walked towards where Kurenai trained her team, having decided to help Hinata's team for today. "Oh, Menma. Weren't you training with Maito-san?" He told them not to worry, but the girl knew that Neji had said something to irritate him. "How's your control, Shino?" Menma proceeded to instruct the Aburame on a few basic Katon jutsu while Kiba and Hinata sparred under the supervision of Kurenai. "What about we go for a barbecue later?" The pooch barked in response at Hinata's questions, as the three boys said yes before Kurenai could protest. "I wanted to go to a restaurant..." The Inuzuka glanced at his instructor. "Then ask that seller to take you!" The woman blushed at the mention of Warashi - somewhere a tanuki sneezed. "Focus, you're slipping into a sloppy stance!"

* * *

 **I'm thinking of the rinnegan, tenseigan and sharingan issues, as Hinata will develop them eventually, courtesy of Kaguya.** **Could you tell me why you enjoy my fanfic? Is it the MGE inclusion? The fact I'm using Menma, even if he's really Kurama? Or something else?**

* * *

A fuckton of time in the past, before Hagoromo's dickery:

Shukaku had mingled among his fellow tanuki, having assumed the appearance of a lithe tan male with short sandy brown hair with blue strands peppered through and many dark blue marks on his arms and legs similar to the ones on his Bijū form. His animal ears and tail, when seen from a distance, looked like they were made of clay, but the truth was that the fine hair that covered them gave a fluffy feel to touch. He had taken well to the customs of conning people through poker games, using cards with iron filing mixed with the paper to play his cheat tricks and keep track of the cards already played, robbing unlucky people through his control over most metallic minerals to tilt things in his favor. Nobody had caught in how he had obtained such an unfair advantage, but the numbers of suckers dwindled, leaving behind only the addicted gamblers, making it unenjoyable for him, not to mention the time he attempted to con his vulpine brother. _"I almost lost my family jewels..."_

He was hobbling through a merchant district when he saw something interesting. _"That necklace only got a gold coating over copper, but it's so expensive..."_ He got curious, were people this gullible? The seller was one of his kin, in his opinion she was also pretty, with those long chocolate strands running down her back and framing light colored skin. He met her dark brown eyes with his honey colored ones. "Hey there, miss. Are things going well?" She smiled at him, waving her kiseru to her side to offer a seat. "Yes, thanks for asking. So you're part of the con group?" He smirked at her question. "Yeah, I got so much cash, but now nobody else tries to challenge me." She gave out a short laugh. "It's because you chose a short-term method to earn money. Let me teach you how to make honest earnings efficiently." He had a large grin. "Let's start then. I'm Shukaku." He offered a handshake, that she accepted. "Call me Mamizou."

This time is Shukaku's and Mamizou's past.


	16. Chapter 15

The group of ninjas was stunned at the sight of the monsters simply walking in the streets, even after hearing about the situation from Tsunami. "Whoa! She has bird wings!" Naruto kept pointing out every abnormal trait present on the passersby, irritating the ones who could hear him, and because he was screaming, it was a damn lot. "Oi, brat!" A female approached them, vulpine tails flicking in anger, making Kakashi and Naruto enter in shock. "Do you have a problem with us? Racism isn't tolerated, so you better shut your trap before I sew it!" As she left, the aforementioned males stared at her nine tails trailing behind her. "Kakashi-sensei..." The silver-haired got worried as to what this could mean. Did the Kyūbi's half inside of the Shinigami get free? _"I must report this to Minato-sensei!"_ Now, because of Naruto and the grapevine, every monster and some humans were glaring at the ninjas.

Sasuke had seen some monsters who looked powerful, maybe if he fought with one of them his sharingan would be unlocked. "Hey, you!" He went and rudely nudged a boy with dog ears and pitch-black skin, noting the rugged pants and the collar that looked like it was made of metal. "Ah...?" His fangs and claws intimidated the Uchiha, but he kept his facade. "Fight with me." The beastman snorted and pointed at a pit of sorts. "Every fight must be there." The wannabe avenger shrugged and followed the dog-boy. Monsters and humans reunited around the small arena, it was an octagonal hole similar to MMA cages, having a depth of four meters. "Hu... It will be a pleasure to bash your face in!" The black scleras and red iris reminded Sasuke of that cursed night, which steeled his will to fight. "Do your worst."

Kakashi and his remaining pupils watched the stare-off of the two boys below, only to notice the murmur around him. "Oh damn! He's going against a hellhound!" "He doesn't know what he's trying to face..." "Let's bet how much blood we'll see before someone interferes!" All these came from adult monsters, who would know well what they talked about. The Hatake's lone eye widened in alarm and he watched closely the unfolding match, hoping to be in time for an intervention. Sasuke's opponent was around his size, but much more toned and with a readiness of someone who fights for sport and survival. Many monsters around him carried similar countenances, even those who looked like sheep or cows.

Long canines gleamed in a grin. "My name's Orthros, and yours?" Sasuke just grunted in response, not seeing a reason to give his name to an animal. "Have it your way then." The hellhound was absurdly fast, getting before the human in a blink, sending him far with a shoulder tackle. "Come on, give me a challenge!" Orthros kicked Sasuke, opening cuts along the soft skin with his claws. "Disappointing!" A punch to the chin sent the Uchiha into the air, chased by the hound who leaped above him. "This much is laughable!" Sasuke noticed that this creature wasn't afraid of killing him, he was just an outsider to the monster, an intruder to be eliminated. He impacted the ground after receiving a punch and rose groggily. "Defying me, only to fall after a few hits?" A pain went through ebony eyes, making the owner flinch. Red flashed in the place of black for an instant.

Orthros went for the kill, only to have an orange blur impact him. "Oh? Another challenger?" Kakashi had gone to retrieve Sasuke, while Naruto was in a state of rage and faced the hellhound in his teammate's stead. "Haha! You got more of a fighter's aura!" Sakura had gone with Kakashi to tend to Sasuke, so she wasn't there to see Naruto's rising orange cloak. The monsters recommended the humans to leave the premises, feeling that things would get dangerous. Having seen these beasts slaughter mercenaries like cattle, the villagers trusted their word and left. Orthros, instead of backing down, was even more pumped for this fight. "Let's go, blondie!"

* * *

Once team 8 finished their training, they walked towards the barbecue place, only to have some older shinobis spot Menma and Hinata together. "Hey there, Uzumaki, how long have you and the Hyūga been dating?" The boy had a look of anger, knowing the custom of betting on possible relationships between fellow ninjas. "We have been together for over a month already, why?" The pair of males faltered at that, cluing the redhead that they made the wrong call, and one bemoaned the loss of a lot of money. "Ah, so that's why Ane-san was interested in Hinata!" Kiba flinched under Menma's glare, Akamaru was whimpering slightly. "Uh... me and Shino saw you that day, sorry."

Now it was the Aburame who was glaring at the Inuzuka, indignant at the quick confession, only for both to flinch at the sound of cracking knuckles. "Oh... so it seems that I must give you both a lesson on peeping!" The boys and a puppy ran away, leaving the females behind. "Let's go at that teahouse? I heard that Warashi provides them with exotic leaves." Kurenai sighed and walked with Hinata towards the building, hoping the boys wouldn't overexert themselves and get hurt. - Menma had chased the males from Team 8 to a training ground and boxed them in with clones. "I'll give you a crash course on chūnin level foes!" Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino had to use their teamwork to defend against the trio of redheads. But it wasn't just a one-sided beating, Menma was telling them the flaws found in their fighting styles and how they could turn their joint attacks seamless.

⏳ - A few minutes later - ⏳

Kiba and Shino were on their faces on the ground, while Menma wasn't even breathing hard, although he had sweated a lot. "Dude, you're brutal!" The Inuzuka could feel his ninken panting on exertion while it rested on his head. "Will you pardon us if I give this photo to you? It's the only shot I took then, no copies." The redhead took the piece of paper and looked at the picture, only to stuff it in his pocket. "I'll pay for everything in the restaurant, now let's go to the hospital." He carried his victims like potato sacks, not struggling under their combined weights. "Can I ask something?" Kiba turned his head to Menma. "What?" The Uzumaki kept walking and avoiding the curious people. "How do you find out if a girl is interested in you?" Now Shino was also paying attention.

"About that... I and Hinata just treated each other well, that's the first step." Turn a corner and jump over a cat. "Then you pay attention to how you and she react to the behavior of other people, like dodging the flirts from the opposite sex." Stop to let a cart pass by them and resume walking. "When you're somewhat sure of what you feel, you ask her out and wait for the answer, without pressuring her to accept and not doing it in public." The Inuzuka and Aburame were pensive, this advice could work if they decided to pursue a girl. "And how did you manage to pass by Hyūga-san?" They could feel the Uzumaki shudder. "By being very polite to him and honest about how I felt towards Hinata."

* * *

The lush forest around Takigakure was the favorite place for Fū to explore, as she used the wings of the Nanabi to go over the dense canopy. Landing by a river, she went to watch the fishes frolicking in the water, throwing berries to see their feeding frenzy. The leader of her village was dealing with some other leader, wanting to have more recognition for Taki. She didn't care much about it, but that man gave her chills, his eyes were like a treacherous snake. Shaking her head, Fū looked at the bugs flying by, enjoying the low buzzing sound made by them. The noise that irritated most people was soothing for her ears, maybe due to the Bijū inside her.

She dozed off and leaned on a rock to nap. She woke up later to see a large mantis the size of her forearm staring at her. Its jade green coloring had golden details and its wing sheath had 幸 on purple. Its googly eyes seemed to be watching every move she did. "Hello?" It tilted the head as if answering her. "You're beautiful." She raised her hand and touched its torso, taking care to not make too much pressure, marveling at the smoothness. It climbed on her palm once her hand was near enough. The sealed beast inside her seemed to stir in reaction to this specimen. "I wonder how your species is named." It simply groomed its claws and settled down on her palm.

* * *

 **Because Haku wasn't there to beat the shit out of the two rivals, I sent Orthros after them. Sasuke already went down, time to see how Naruto fares against him. I'm happy to get your support, Hyuuga Hitomi-chan, your comments give me energy! P. S.: So much irony in that first paragraph.  
**

* * *

Time to see how Shukaku's and Mamizou's relationship develops:

The female tanuki instructed the male on the workings of a business during a few weeks, teaching him how to bargain and extract more gains from the merch sold. Shukaku preferred the sales of spices, as the precise scales and the small amounts used provided him with a good way to cheat while unseen. Just tilting slightly the needle showing the weight was enough to give him profit. But Mamizou had spotted his trick through his accounting, having looked at him with a disappointed expression that for some reason made him feel bad. _"Shit, it stung more than when otō-san does that."_ After some deliberation, he purposely took a hit on his profits while dealing with the people whose sales he had rigged, noticing how the female seemed to be shifting her opinion of him.

It was the first time Shukaku had bowed before someone who wasn't Hagoromo or Hamura, asking Mamizou to forgive his trickery. "Do you understand now? There are times to cheat, and times to be honest." He felt that his heart became a little lighter at her words of pardon, having given him a chance to redeem himself. "Well, shall we go for a drink?" The male perked up at that, she never asked him to go with her in her drinking outings. "Where will we go?" She smiled for the first time since the day she saw his dishonesty. "You will see when we get there." He walked by her side, having to shorten his strides as she was smaller than him. "... Oni?" He stared at the raucous group sitting around a huge campfire. "Oni."

Is there going to be a drunken incident? Wait until next chapter.


	17. Chapter 16

Orthros' eyes were fixated on the blond, watching as the bubbling orange energy enveloped the human, concentrating to the point of swirling around him. Every yōkai present could feel it, recognizing the similarity with the feral kitsune variety, the yōko. _"Oh... now he's showing his claws..."_ His muscles were ready to react, tensing up. The hellhound darted towards the human, intent on ripping him to shreds, only to feel his claws parried by kunai and long fingernails. "You got nice instincts!" Naruto just growled and swiped at his opponent, his facial marks turning thicker and his pupils became slits. _"So he can't control yōki, well, humans aren't compatible for starters."_ The young hellhound blinked and felt a hard punch on his solar plexus, hitting the wall and knocking out his breath.

"Argh-!" The dog-boy fell to one knee, holding the pained area. The blond didn't stop, however, dashing towards his downed foe. Before Naruto could rip Orthros' neck, a strong grip to the neck lifted the human. "You dare to try to kill my little brother?" Glowing scarlet orbs surrounded by darkness measured the struggling boy. "Aniki!" Kerberos was a male with a wild mane of silver hair, dressed in pants and jacket made with scaly leather. A thick spiked dog collar served as a belt, the wear and tear on the entire outfit showing the past struggles. Ashen gray skin rippled over taut muscles as he tightened the grip on this foolish human. "Ghack-! Let me... go!" His pupils dilated at the begging. "You have the will to kill, yet fears death? Pathetic."

Kerberos took Naruto with him, still carrying the boy like a bag, having moved his grip to the jumpsuit. The fading energy that was usually corrosive wasn't affecting the hellhound, as he was using his own red chakra as a glove. _"It's charged with rancor and ire... yet the boy isn't a berserker."_ Naruto had futilely struggled to undo Kerberos' hold, failing miserably. "Where are you taking me?" Red eyes met blue. "To my place." Now the blond was really scared, fearing that he would be turned into arrived at a shack at the corner of the village, having the bare minimum of a kitchen, bathroom, and a place that could be both a bed and living room. The Namikaze got rudely thrown at a pile of pillows and the beastman sat before him. "Brat, who do you have sealed inside you?"

The hellhound's eyes fixed the human's to his, not letting the blond look away. "I... I'm the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi..." A snort sounding like a bark rang out. "The existence that is within you..." The blond got fearful, would this man try to kill him? "It's incomplete, merely a ghost from the past..." Naruto frowned, what was this man talking about? "Listen, the Bijū, contrary to your beliefs, isn't just a chakra construct." Kerberos rummaged through his things and threw a thin book at the boy. "I don't have permission to tell you everything, but some key facts can be learned from that." Naruto leafed through the pages, noting that there were no names, only titles. "Why are you helping me?" Kerberos approached too much for comfort, his long canines intimidated Naruto, as they looked perfect for tearing flesh.

"I can glimpse the future from time to time. You seemed to have an important role sometime later." The beastman sighed. "But it's always changing, you might have lost your relevance, maybe you kept it." He directed the teen to the door. "One more thing, -he tapped Naruto's headband- your profession, ninja, requires diplomacy among other things. Your actions earlier..." Kerberos shook his head. "If you had been in front of the wrong crowd, you would have been killed already." The boy gulped. "Why are you telling me this?" The older male shrugged. "You and Orthros are similar in your actions. It would be a pity if you died." The hellhound ruffled the boy's hair. "Take this as your extra chance, learn manners so you don't lose your neck."

* * *

Kakashi thought it safer to leave Nami as soon as possible, as Tazuna was most definitely safe and Team 7 was in a bad spot with the current power in the island. The jōnin found himself forced to carry the Uchiha back to Konoha, as Sasuke's meeting with Orthros left him with broken bones, and Naruto had a sullen expression since Kerberos had spoken with him. Once they had to stop to camp, Kakashi decided to lay some facts to the boys. "I'm honestly disappointed with you two." The rival pair evaded their eyes from the cyclops. "Naruto, have you thought about the consequences of angering them? Until where we know, there could have been a leader of their kin in the mass." The blond lowered his eyes in shame.

"Think, your father deals with international affairs. What if this incident made their kin decide Hi no Kuni isn't worth as an ally?" The Hatake turned to his other male pupil. "And you... what were you thinking, going against that boy? You could have died if I hadn't intervened, leaving us to deal with your mother." Sasuke just grunted, holding his arm in the sling. "You... Look here you insolent whelp." Kakashi grabbed the Uchiha's shirt, uncaring of his grunts of protest at the jostling of sore ribs. "I'll beat that behavior out of you. That sort of action isn't acceptable." The jōnin dropped the avenger. "Itachi was respectful, -he ignored the angry snarl- knowing which manners each situation called for. That's why he was so successful at such young age."

The man dismissed the discussion and began setting up his barrack. Later in the night the blond teen got out of his tent, Naruto fingered the book given to him by the dog monster, he didn't even know his name. The way the hellhound talked indicated he knew about the Kyūbi, but to say that it was incomplete... Did he know that the seal only held half of the beast? Then Naruto recalled the way those scarlet orbs looked so much like his brother's, holding pain and love and so many emotions he knew not. _"Nii-san, am I important to you like Orthros was to that guy?"_ He chose to distract himself with the book, using the campfire to read.

* * *

After Hinata had left Kurenai and Menma had taken her teammates for a meal to make up for beating them, the couple met up for a simple date. "How are your clan duties?" She leaned on him as they sat by a tree in a training field. "They have their demands, but I'm managing it. And what about you?" He sighed, nuzzling her hair. "Today is my last free day, tomorrow I go back to missions." She hummed in understanding. "There is a dinner tonight, my father said that it would be good if you attended it." He grimaced, knowing it would be full of uptights. "Will I be able to use and change at your bathhouse?" She nodded. "Otō-san gave permission, as you're a possible future relative to the Hyūga." The couple grinned at the implication.

"So it's an event to present me to your elders?" She sighed. "That's the bad part of coming from such a formal clan..." He squeezed her hand to show support. "Don't worry, I'm sure that if the Uzumaki still existed as a whole clan, I would have to follow extra formalities." Menma made a pained face, one set of ceremonies was enough for him. "Let me go home first to fetch some formal wear" He gave his girlfriend a parting peck on the lips, promising to meet her in front of her favorite bakery. As she waited for him, she had Ino spot her and come to her side, intent on getting some gossip. _"_ _Gods, have mercy on me."_ Luckily for her Menma was fast and arrived before the Yamanaka could start her special brand of interrogation. But she knew that it was just delaying the inevitable.

Menma and Hinata were walking to her clan compound, making small talk about how they should behave so the group of sticklers wouldn't deem the redhead a bad choice outright. They walked only with their hands linked, wondering what would result from this dinner. A member of the secondary branch had aided Menma in getting ready for the meal, making him see how deep the segregation was at some points. _"Once I get enough proficiency with fūinjutsu, I'll try to deal with this situation."_ **"Hamura-ji-san would be so damn disappointed if he saw his descendants."** Kurama had growled in exasperation. **"I'm surprised there weren't major rebellions yet."** Menma wondered if he could last the entire dinner without getting irritated.

Once everybody was seated at the long table, Hiashi and his wife at the host's seats, their daughters at his right, Menma to his left, and the clan elders on the remaining seats, the dinner was served. It was mostly silent, with only the sounds of bowls and cups being handled, the occasional request for refills rang in the air. When most had eaten a good share of food, the chatter rose in volume, discussions about businesses and clan dealings started in earnest. "By the way, may you tell us the reason for the presence of the Uzumaki, Hiashi-sama?" Kotei, an uncle of the head from his mother's side, mentioned the fox in the room, making the redhead dread the boring talk. "Thanks for reminding me. Very well, I invited our guest for a purpose." The murmur died down as the curiosity peaked.

"This young man came to me and my wife with a request." Whispers could be heard as they swapped theories. "Uzumaki-san asked for permission to court my eldest daughter, and I granted his wish." The chatter resumed as the elders commented on it. Menma had to deal with these geezers mentioning the political aspects of an engagement or even marriage between the clans. _"We're not dating because of these goddamn reasons!"_ But he held the biting remarks, offending these people would do him no good. "Having an Uzumaki to strengthen our proud lineage..." He bit the chopsticks, leaving a dent in them. It continued for a while until the event was declared over, with Menma and Hinata heaving out a mental sigh. Clan business was a bitch to deal with.

* * *

 **I'm still deciding on who will be paired with Kiba, but Shino already got one chosen for him. About Naruto, I pointed out in the last chapter that Naruto was getting the first-stage Kyūbi cloak. Soon we'll arrive at the Chūnin Exams, and that's when someone will get to Konoha. Kerberos might appear later on, depending on my whims.  
**

* * *

After a night-long oni-style party:  


Honey-colored eyes with strange pupils cracked open, wincing at the sunlight on them. Looking around, Shukaku could see toppled trees and crumbled rocks, with some people embedded in craters. Barrels of beverages and cups laid haphazardly, some still holding the liquid culprit. _"Wow, the air still reeks of alcohol."_ The red, blue, and green skins of their hosts could be seen across the clearing, all still asleep. Peppered here and there were the other yōkai, all in diverse states of undress, ranging from just a disheveled kimono to birthday suits. _"What happened yesterday?"_ He massaged his temple and looked down at the person laying on his stomach. _"... Mamizou?"_ She had apparently discarded her top during her drunk spell, only conserving some modesty because of her long hair. Although he wasn't better off, being clad only with a fundoshi.

The cleanup was smooth, these people were already used to this kind of chaotic ending, laughing at those found in weird poses or holding things that weren't supplied for the event, like some sheeps and other livestock scarred for life. Shukaku frowned, there was something nagging at his mind, and Mamizou seemed to share his feeling. "What did we do yesterday?" A tengu admitted to having made sketches of the situations witnessed during the party, which were taken by the ones depicted in them as mementos. "Hey, we are the ones in this." The sheet of paper showed the pair of tanuki doing xxx and zzz, having gotten very hot and steamy thanks to the sake, beer, vodka, etc. "So... how are things between us now?" Seriously, was the beverage mixed with some kind of aphrodisiac? Considering the makers were satyrs, maybe.

Sexual tension... where will this lead?  



	18. Chapter 17

Time went by and the Chūnin Exams were peeking right around the corner. Menma had pestered Kurenai for harsher training for Team 8, nagging out of her her annoying custom of sheltering Hinata. "Are you training a kunoichi or raising a goddamn dove?" It ended up with him having to convince his girlfriend to beat up her instructor in a match to show the woman she wasn't a China vase. Kiba and Shino had advanced on their respective natures by leaps and bounds, now managing D to C-ranks jutsus after going through the grinder to increase their chakra pools. "Man... Menma beats us around enough for two jōnin senseis..." Kiba was rubbing Akamaru's sore hind leg, as the redhead had struck the limb with a mean blow during a Gatsūga. "Still, that severe way of handling us, even his girlfriend, shows he has professionalism." Hinata was applying balms on herself as Shino assessed the condition of his kikaichū.

"Of course!" They got started by the voice, the chūnin and the jōnin had already returned. "Enemy ninjas won't go easy on us just because of our age. If anything, they will do their best to murder us so we don't become threats to their villages." Menma glared at Kurenai. "If I catch you treating them with kid gloves again, rank or seniority won't mean anything. I will beat sense in you." The Yūhi averted her eyes, the boy could be persistent in his pursuits, having harassed her through watered-down drinks and messing with her dating chances, never doing things that could hinder their profession. "The weather seems that will bring rain, so get ready, for I got a training regimen perfect for it." Kurenai frowned, this brat was acting as if he was their teacher. "Feeling replaced? Then act as a damn instructor." She smiled stiffly at his cheek.

As expected, a storm was whipped up and was pelting Konoha, sending most people to their homes. Menma had dragged Team 8 to a training ground and gave their orders. "Kiba, try to keep the mud on your body, don't let the rain wash it off." The Inuzuka had been kicked in a puddle. "Shino, I want you to make the water become steam as soon it touches you." Steam rose from the Aburame's skin, indicating the transition of the droplets. "Hinata, make the water run off your body with the wind, use your chakra to make a layer of air over your skin." One could see the rain behaving with the Hyūga as if she were covered with Teflon. The Uzumaki made the exercise harder by breaking their focus with pokes and paper fans, taunting them when they looked at him with anger. The cold winds made the trio shudder, as they only got permission to don a shirt and shorts.

* * *

Warashi was watching with amusement as Kurenai gnawed the boar jerky he brought and downed large gulps of oni sake. "That brat... Thinking he's -*hiccup*- hot stuff..." He chuckled, kitsunes were hardheaded beings, so this woman didn't have any chance. "By the way..." The breath that smelt of alcohol was too close to his face and she straddled his lap. _"How bold."_ She seemed to be in some kind of inner struggle. "I'm trying... to decide between -*hiccup*- you and Asuma..." Oh, the jōnin, son of the previous Hokage. "What's your verdict, then?" Her ruby gaze was misted over because of the strong beverage, but she was still holding lucidity. "He is strong and handsome... everything a kunoichi wants..." He just nodded, waiting for her to continue. "But... you're so understanding... husband material..." Her head fell on his shoulder, knocked out for the count. "Thanks for telling me."

He adjusted her over his arms, taking her in bridal style so he could take her to bed. It had been a pleasant surprise to have the woman corner him at a food stand and practically demand him to come with her. Warashi was patient as he heard Kurenai vent her frustrations, as she had done in their previous meetings. He had also been measured by two females, both sporting purple hair, as a potential threat to their friend. _"Anko and Yūgao... you got good friends, Kurenai."_ Unfortunately for the women, their attempts at scaring him off didn't match the terror caused by witnessing a thunder-bird and a raijū fight during an electric storm. _"Or getting the anger of a dragon..."_ The victim he knew would have been left better off dead. He sighed, at least Kurenai wouldn't have hangover thanks to the special brewery process. "Good dreams." As he left the apartment and locked it, a man glared at the tanuki.

The yōkai wandered aimlessly under the downpour, having taken out a wide straw hat and a thick dark green rain cloak to keep himself dry. He could smell cigarettes in the air despite the rain, knowing about his stalker. _"Back home, you wouldn't even know a ninja was targetting you until you felt their blade..."_ Maybe the formidable foes provided by fellow yōkai had bolstered their advances. Once he found a sufficiently isolated training ground, he came to a stop and faced his adversary, tipping up his hat. "I'm amazed as to how you managed to stay uncaught despite reeking of smoke." A bearded male with a foul gaze came out from the treeline. "You... no merchant is this perceptive!" Warashi smirked. "How pretentious from your part, everybody can train their senses." Asuma had a snarl, his sights on this intruder. "Why are you getting on my way with Kurenai‽" The brunet had to hold back a snort.

"Treating her as a prize... she would be disappointed at your words." The shinobi had a grimace. "Besides, a single woman is free to choose her partner." This remark was biting, reminding Asuma of how he kept his relationship with Kurenai as mostly 'friends with benefits', despite having a long time since it began. "She has the right to find a companion with whom she desires to make a family." This made the Sarutobi snap as he darted towards Warashi with his knives on hands, only to get blocked by metal tonfas. "That reaction time... You're more than you claim to be!" Asuma channeled Fūton to his blades, only to see the tonfas catch on fire and see it eat his chakra, scorching his hands. "Yare... That was dangerous, could have gotten my darlings cut to pieces..." The tanuki was uncaring, treating a jōnin as a mere annoyance. The human was grinding his teeth, who was this foreigner to simply wander in Konoha and act like this?

* * *

Minato was nervous, soon the monsters would come to settle down on Hi no Kuni and he was just praying that the people wouldn't make his efforts go down the drain. And from Warashi's comments, his boss would be coming for a visit around the Chūnin Exams, having also dropped subtle hints that his village had better reinforce its protocols to deal with invasions. Seriously, how deep had their spies infiltrated in the Elemental Nations without people noticing? Then the Hokage recalled some things. The Kazekage and the leader of Taki would come to watch over the Exams as a show of goodwill. _"I just hope things won't go to shit..."_ If something happened to these men, Konoha could be the target of international struggles. And time wasn't on his side, getting shorter by the minute.

And Naruto... Since the Nami mission, he wanted to find more about the Bijū sealed in him, using the book given by one of these monsters as a reference. Apparently, the Rikudō Sennin wasn't as benevolent as the myths would lead one to believe, having persecuted these creatures into exile. He felt a migraine surfacing. His son had attempted to contact the Kyūbi through meditation, but from what he was told, the boy couldn't reach his mindscape yet, only hearing an agonizing screech that carried suffering from centuries of human harassment. The young Namikaze got affected by the screams, getting nightmares where the people he loved were torn away from his side by forces beyond his reach. There was also the issue with Menma.

The now Uzumaki had dropped Minato's surname and distanced himself from the blondes, having loaned an apartment close to the Hyūga compound. The redhead had seemingly replaced his brother and father by a family he chose by free will. Another issue with Menma was that he planned to go to Uzushiogakure, after his clan's lost knowledge. To him, Minato became merely a sperm donor, the one who helped to bring him to life, but not the one who had a claim to a piece of his filial love. The closed-off clan was closer to the boy than his own flesh and blood, all because of the older Namikaze's mistakes. _"Will you forgive me one day, Menma?"_ Every time that father and son had to meet due to missions, the youth was utterly impersonal, making the man fell discomfort at the treatment.

* * *

Gaara had noticed Mamizou packing up for a trip and asked for the reason. "I'm going to meet someone dear to me, back in the human continent." The boy recalled his life in Suna and trembled. "Don't worry, I won't force you to come with me." She could feel a tendril of sand wrapping around her arm. "Kuno will take care of you, and Marisa will be here if you feel lonely." The turquoise orbs misted over and the woman took her surrogate son in a hug. "I will return, don't worry. I promised to care for you, after all." Mamizou brushed her hand through Gaara's hair. "Don't you trust in me?" He lowered his eyes, frowning imperceptively. "Okay... come back fast." The boy lets go of the hug, his head lowered. "Stay safe, I love you." She left a kiss on his forehead and took her baggage. "Kaa-san, be careful..." She smiled at the honorific. "Now that you asked, I will be."

As Mamizou walked to the gate, she glanced at the mountain range, smiling at the sight of a mansion familiar to her. Then her mind wandered to the person she had assigned to help protect her dear friend and her mate, recalling how he was shit-for-brains with directions. _"As long he follows the map I gave him, it should be fine."_ Then she got an ill omen, did she jinx it? "That would be a pain to fix..." - A male with gray hair looked at the signpost, wondering which way he should take. A cawing made him look up, it was one of those ravens that tengus used as familiars. _"Did they already expect this? I ended up giving the map away, it was inside that book..."_ He lifted an arm so the bird would have a perch. "So you will be my guide..." The avian cawed and turned its head, pointing at the road he should take. "Thank you." Kerberos started walking, as the bird moved its roost to his shoulder.

* * *

 **What will be different during the Chūnin Exams? ... Wait for it, I'm going through some ideas. But one thing is for sure, Sasuke will defect, with bad consequences.**

 **This time I shall talk about an important part of MGE that will be in here as well: Monsterization. Basically, its a tool for converting humans. But even with that at play, humans in the yōkai continent weren't wiped out as Hagoromo feared, Marisa was an example. Why, though? Well, let's say that mankind is a stubborn piece of work and adapted to flush yōki from their bodies so as to retain their 'humanity', leading to some side effects.  
**

* * *

Post clean up awkwardness:

Shukaku and Mamizou had recovered partial memories of the party thanks to the picture, so now they had to deal with the turn their relationship took. Friends? Or lovers? The man went to his uncle for advice, as his father had taken an arranged marriage to sire his human sons, while Hamura had actually gone through the thorny path to get Yurie. "Hm? You did all that?" The Ōtsutsuki just raised a brow at his nephew's predicament. "Yea... I don't know what to do, but I really like her..." The quasi-albino was thoughtful. "Are you hearing yourself? If you do have feelings for her, it's most fitting that you act on them." Shukaku wondered about that. "Well... she really understands me, and..." Hamura simply kept his silence as the tanuki mulled over his words. "Think... could you live without her by your side?" The youth lowered his eyes. "I don't know..." He felt his uncle pat his shoulder. "Then go find out."

Shukaku had met Mamizou at a riverbank, where one could see the flowering white lotus. "How has your day been?" The male was still feeling awkward, but she had replied in a neutral tone, making him wonder if he had a chance or not. "Do you think that I am attractive?" His head snapped up at that and his answer was instantaneous. "Of course." A charming blush dusted her cheeks. "I find you quite handsome, to be honest." His ego swelled at her words, so he decided to be bolder, taking her hands. "I have been thinking, and I want to try knowing you even more." Now Mamizou could feel the heat on her face and then smiled at him. "Is that so? Well, here." She handed him a key and a piece of paper. "You're welcome to drop by my place." She winked at him, making the male blush slightly. But before she could turn away, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. "Gotta make up for the amnesia."

That's a wrap for the ShukaMami relationship.


	19. Chapter 18

Izumo and Kotetsu were dozing off at the gates, blinking the sleep away and shuddering at the lingering chill of yesterday's rain. "Man, the early shift sucks..." The pair of friends weren't looking forward to the rush of merchants either. Then they could hear steps approaching from the road, making them turn their heads and focus. It was a man similar to Kakashi, but his hair wasn't fighting against gravity and fell over his shoulders like a mane, sporting skin a tone darker than the copy-cat and red eyes like a certain Genjutsu Mistress. Save for a gray shirt, his entire outfit, from the jacket down to his boots, seemed to be made from leather. _"BDSM?"_ The one item of clothing that made the guards get curious was the spiky belt, but the stern face of the stranger held back their tongues. "Greetings." Kerberos stood before the booth, waiting to get their attention. "Ah! H-hello." Izumo pulled out forms and a camera as Kotetsu questioned the man about his permanence time and intentions.

Kerberos entered Konoha without hassle, starting his search for the ones he had to meet. _"Ryū-sama and her mate... and one of those tanukis..."_ So he was trekking through the main street, trying to pinpoint scents familiar to him. _"Let's see... that bird gave this envelope..."_ He broke the seal and got three photos. "Hey, I know this dude!" His head snapped up and one of his targets was passing by. - Warashi was walking distractedly, mulling over the fight with Asuma, not noticing the female following him. He had to beat the Sarutobi immobile, as the shinobi kept attacking him, and implant an illusion that would scramble his memories about their meeting. _"Why are humans so complicated?"_ A smell that he knew well hit his nostrils, making him fear the source. The tanuki began running, only to get body checked from behind. "Ghack-!" Two adult males skidded on the ground, with the brunet squished under the burly grayhead. "Yo, Tama-chama!" Warashi huffed, his suit would be in need of a good cleaning.

"I told you to stop with that, Kero." Kerberos let go of him and both got up, dusting off the dirt. "Heh, it's good to see your uptight ass again." The tanuki was grimacing and holding his sore back. "I'd rather never see you again. Ow..." - Kurenai watched the scene from afar, Warashi seemed to know well this man, bantering with him as she would do with Anko. _"All those things I recall telling him... were they real or just a drunken dream?"_ The man was full of mysteries, she hoped to get his trust and know more about his past. And she was curious as to why he seemed to have a secret business with the Hokage."Well, how long do we have until Boss arrives here?" Kerberos pulled out a notepad. "Around a week." Warashi sighed. "Okay... now I have to find a hotel for you. Give me the allowance." The hellhound had a quizzical expression, making the brunet feel dread. "Didn't you receive money before coming?" The way those red eyes flashed made the poor merchant feel an ulcer creeping on him. "I gave it to Orthros so he would have spending money back home."

Things happened in a moment: Warashi punched Kerberos in the gut and suplexed him, burying the hound to his shoulders. "You gave out five hundred thousand..." The brunet huffed as the grayhead got up. "You're on your own. Find a place to rest, my stand only has space for one." The tanuki stomped away as the red-eye patted the dust off his hair. Kerberos sighed once Warashi was out of sight, that man had a berserk button when it came to money. _"Well, will I be able to find one of the others today?"_ The man looked at the picture of his teacher, marveling at how she had changed nothing between reincarnations. He began walking and hummed a tune, excusing himself when he bumped on a female with facial tattoos. "Up in the clouds she flies~ Bringing the stormy skies~" - Inuzuka Hana looked at the male who was trotting down the road while chanting a silly song, wondering why her instincts and hormones went crazy at his proximity.

* * *

Menma was sitting while looking at the Hyūga garden with his future in-laws, sipping the tea as Hanabi tugged at his hair and attempted to make braids, Hinata was training with Hiashi. Hitomi was smiling softly at the blank face of the Uzumaki, her insight let her see his inner struggle to hold himself back from scolding the girl. "So, how's my daughter coming along in her training?" Now the kid was pulling his cheek, amazed at his facial hair. "She's doing- great, she- managed- to control- water and- lightning." The woman had to hold her giggles, his stoic expression coupled with the interrupting tugs were so funny. "Onii-san!" Menma faced Hanabi, wondering what she wanted. "Are you going to make kids with Onee-san?" The green tea went down the wrong hatch and the male began hacking harshly to recover himself. Hitomi hit his back to help him recover, shooting her daughter a stern look.

"What? I think that getting nephews with whiskers would be cute." Menma managed to get his airways unblocked and held a hanky to his mouth to catch the tea. "Hanabi, who gave you these ideas?" The girl tilted her head in confusion. "I heard Otou-san that it would be nice if Onee-san married Onii-san soon, and don't you need to be married to make kids? Like you and Otou-san?" Now it was Menma who chortled as Hitomi held her reddening cheeks at her daughter's logic. _"When I get my hands on him..."_ Hinata arrived at the scene, only to see her mother and boyfriend reacting weirdly to something that her sister said. "Onee-san!" Hanabi went to the girl and tugged at her hand. "Can I ask something?" The older girl got curious at the snickers she heard from their company.

"What, Hanabi-chan?" The girl had her innocent eyes fixated on her sister, not letting her look away. "When you and Menma-nii have a child, can I be the godmother?" The heiress got a cherry face at that, backpedaling while sputtering nonsense. "I can't?" The younger of the sisters was confused as the redhead and her mother chuckled at her sister's reaction. "Hana-chibi, that's still far in the future." She puffed her cheeks at the nickname, hitting Menma halfheartedly. "Can we go on our date?" Hinata recovered from the bomb dropped by the little firecracker and nodded, taking his hand and waving goodbye to her family for now. "I want nephews only when I get older, so no funny business!" The couple stumbled at that and Hitomi clonked her spitfire of a daughter on the head. "Hanabi!"

Once the couple was gone, Hanabi rubbed the sore spot, pouting at her mother. "I was telling the truth, Onii-san's whiskers are really cute, my nephews would look like kitties." Hitomi had a stiff smile, her daughter was speaking with so much certainty, surely the girl had a mental picture ready. But she had to admit, it evoked a charming picture, maybe Hinata's hair could influence the color of the whiskers. - *Atchoo-!* x2 - Hiashi intruded the scene and saw his wife and child giggling at some inside joke. "Should I be worried?" The firecracker shared with her father her thoughts about potential nephews to spoil, making the man get a throbbing vein on his neck at the idea of the brat defiling his heir before wedlock. _"Just to guarantee, I should start regular manutention on the family katana."_ \- *Shudder...* - Or maybe not, the boy was honorable and knew his boundaries.

* * *

Kerberos' eyes got wide at the sight of a certain couple, as he compared them to his pictures. They seemed to be on their way to a training ground, so he tailed them. "So, Hinata, where should we go for today?" The hellhound didn't wait for her to reply and barged into the private scene, scooping the both of them in a bear hug while rolling a little on the grass. "What the-" Menma was about to stab the guy, but his girlfriend held his hand. "Hina says that he is..." The big male rubbed his face with their hair, mumbling nonsense. "... he is kind of my apprentice." Kerberos let go of the couple and sat up. "It's nice to see you again, Hinata-shihan. And I assume that you're Kurama-shi." The hound was sitting on his legs in front of the couple, having bowed his head. "My name is Kerberos, I was deployed to watch for you against potential greedy people!"

"Hu... he's certainly... spirited." Hinata could feel the redhead's discomfort. "Also, Mamizou-sama shall arrive within the week, if she doesn't encounter bandits or nukenin on her path." That name sparked recognition in both teens, the wife of Shukaku and a good friend. "That's good to know, thanks for telling us." Then the man began fidgeting, making the duo curious. "Is there an issue, Kerberos-kun?" The dogman sighed forlornly, telling them about his housing situation. "I guess that I'll have to sleep in alleys." Menma felt the pointed gaze from his girlfriend and relented. "I got space for one more person at my place, you can crash there." The way those red orbs sparkled with admiration made the teen feel dread, justified by the way the man caught him in a bear hug, strong arms wrapped around his neck. "Don't do this!" He was tapping the thick biceps in defeat.

The grayhead had settled into Hinata and Menma's life, revealing more about Hina's past to the couple. Warashi had swallowed his pride and asked shelter like the hound did, using his animal appearance to occupy less space. Kerberos also kept himself low expense by looking like a pure gray wolfhound, but it led to some Inuzukas hounding the redhead into letting them breed the dog with theirs. Days flew by as the ninjas of Konoha prepared themselves for the upcoming great event. But when Hinata said that her team might be nominated for the trial, Warashi warned against it, telling her that if she intended to take the pill to unlock her yōkai side as soon as possible, her performance would be prejudicated by the changes. "Now I need a convenient excuse to decline..." - Dark brown eyes examined the imposing walls of Konoha. _"I'm here, Anego."_

* * *

 **Yay, the Chūnin Exam is almost here~ (monotone). Very well, in the next few chapters, our dear couple shall become fine yōkai and embrace their wild side. Whose skin is Orochimaru wearing? I won't tell you, that would be a spoiler. And... how much damage will Konoha suffer? *Evil laugh!*  
**

* * *

This time will be the Gobi and his pair.  


A hakutaku was walking through a field, mentally identifying the plants she could see, enjoying the breeze on her face. "Oh?" There was a person collapsed on the grassland, marking the foliage and leaving an empty space around. The man was still struggling, yet to go into unconsciousness, some half-chewed leaves close to his mouth. "That's monkshood!" She was stronger than she seemed to be, lifting the man in her arms and taking him to the village. "T-thanks..." He fought to keep his eyes open. "Save your energy, I won't let you die." He only had enough time to grunt before seeing black. Once she arrived at her destination, she barked orders to the local healer to gather the necessary supplies. _"At least you seem to be very resilient, you might survive for real."_

Yay, Kokuō almost killed himself for not doing his research!


	20. Chapter 19

Team 8 had reunited at their usual training ground, waiting for Kurenai to start talking. "I have nominated you for the Chūnin Exam, but you must sign for it to participate." She handed the trio three sheets, but Hinata didn't accept it. "What's wrong?" The girl rubbed her arm. "Neji-nii-san is the strongest Hyūga in generations, and his team is also very skilled, yet this will be their first test..." The boys noticed the hidden message. "Well, now that you mention it, Hana-nee said that even the ones held in Konoha are brutal..." Shino adjusted his glasses, turning to the instructor. "We only have a few months of experience, thus, we would be disadvantaged against more knowledgeable opponents." They handed back the papers. "We're sorry, Kurenai-sensei. But we prefer to sit this one out." The jōnin frowned but relented. "I have to admit you have a point, so I won't insist." Because they were already reunited, Kiba called for a spar, with only killing blows forbidden, leading to the team ending up winded after about an hour and a half.

Shino felt his body sore, but it was a reminder of how his training got stepped up compared to his fellow graduates. _"Menma-san, you might be a little sadistic, but I have to thank you for badgering Kurenai-sensei."_ The redhead had even gone the extra mile for him by catching bugs during missions and bringing the arthropods back with utmost care. His father, Shibi, had thanked the Uzumaki for his service, as there were strains of kikai among the samples, the legacies from past Aburames, with traits they considered advantageous. _"To think he found kikai able to sustain themselves with Shizen (nature) energy..."_ He was among the members of his family who were adapting to this variation, as the symbiosis enabled the humans to receive a portion of the green chakra, but they had a gut feeling that hosting too many at once would be disastrous.

The hooded teen was walking and watching the foreign ninjas, who came for the exams, discretely gauging the general threat level. For some reason, once he passed by a yakitori stand, his bugs began reacting like crazy, buzzing with excitement instead of with alarm. Sighing while calming down his colonies, he entered the stand to see the cause. Among the patrons, the one who caught his attention was the female with mint-green hair and a mantis on her shoulder. The insectoid was munching on a skewer as its handler finished her order, getting up with some sticks on her hands. Now there was no controlling his hives, he sounded like a human vibrator, the gazes of everybody on him made his face feel like it was burning and he ran away. The girl with orange eyes got curious at the sight and gave chase, her mantis helping her keep track of her prey.

* * *

Yugito was watching Mikado spar with one of the feline beastpeople, knowing how irritated he got when Ā told him that Kumo wouldn't participate in Konoha's Chūnin Exams. The match ended with his face down on the ground and the blue-haired catgirl sitting on his back. "Felicia, are you done?" Her boyfriend called to her, standing beside Yugito. "Jonny! Did you see me beat him?" As the cheerful female bounced away with the wolf-man, the blonde kunoichi went to check on the downed male, poking him with a stick. "Are you still alive?" His string of curses towards the catgirl and the Raikage confirmed his survival, but he was still unmoving. "Why do you want to go to Konoha?" He peeked at her, teeth clenched into a grimace. "One of my and Kowan's friends is there, I wanted to visit."

Bee was cuddling with the holstaur he had adamantly chased for romance, going past the hell provided by her beast of a minotaur father. "I love you, Valerie~" Her long orange hair and bountiful chest were the first things to attract him. But even now, after getting permission from Talos, his father-in-law, the behemoth kept a very close eye on him, ready to use the battle ax on his lower half. The jinchūriki absolutely loved her scent of fresh spices and couldn't wait to enjoy the perks of having a holstaur wife. But before the marriage could happen, the minotaur had demanded Bee to first beat every one of her brothers in a fair match, as in without Gyūki's assistance, and thanks to the prolific breeding habits of the bull there was a grand total of ten brothers-in-law to be defeated. _"Life is unfair! I can't go to the last base!"_

* * *

The Kyūbi jinchūriki was searching for his twin, checking on every udon place. Once he found the chūnin, they went to a park to talk. Menma was staring at his brother, who had a black eye. "The fuck you did?" Naruto was grumpy but explained how he got into a fight with some Suna-nin to protect Konohamaru, his 'pupil'. The redhead sighed and held the bridge of his nose. "You are in desperate need for diplomacy lessons, those people sound like the Kazekage's children." The blonde seemed to not get the issue with exchanging blows. "Sasuke and Sakura were there too..." Now Naruto was nursing another bruise on his cheek. "Idiot... A fight between the offsprings of two Kages could be an excuse for war! Hell, nations fought for lesser reasons!"

Then, hoping to defuse the situation, Naruto told his brother of how he would participate in the exams. "... Do you even know things beyond Kage Bunshin and Academy jutsu?" The blonde seemed confused. "Why should I? It's going to be easy for me and my kickass team!" From what Menma could gather, this stupid daydreamer had already signed the thrice hell-damned papers. "What have you done in training? Did you even practice your Fūton affinity?" At Naruto's shrug, the redhead had to hold himself back. "That's boring, and I still can't even make a tiny cut on a leaf, so it's useless. Kakashi-sensei told us that what we must train is our teamwork." It was hopeless, he was a twin to a lump of idiocy who was learning from another imbecile.

"I give up, good luck getting killed on the Ground 44." Before Naruto could protest, Menma had used Shunshin to get away, leaving red maple leaves behind. _"I only hope that the tengus are wrong about the attack on Konoha."_ But he knew that those birdbrains were too meticulous with information to goof around with such sensitive facts. A selfish thought manifested itself: if he managed to kill enough invaders, could he get a field promotion? **"Hey boy, I understand what you are thinking."** Kurama wasn't in a scolding mode, but an empathetic one. **"I used to have thoughts like these... to desire to kill without punishment."** That was a hidden trait in yōkai, one that got sated by the tournaments hosted on the other continent, free-for-all brawls to give outlets for their instincts to fight.

* * *

The steady clacking of geta marked the steps of a woman who walked confidently through the streets. A thin tendril of smoke waved slowly in the air, coming from the kiseru in her hand. Men became entranced by her aura and women whispered theories about her origins, both genders wondering about her identity. "Boss! Forgive me, I should have been here sooner." The merchant, Warashi, was the one to approach the stranger, bowing respectfully. It was the spark needed to make the rumors surface like weeds. "Don't mind the little things. May you show me the way?" As the pair walked away, the chatter became louder until the villagers were openly discussing what they just saw.

The tanukis could still hear them but cared not for their opinions as they walked towards the tower in the center of the village. "How is my dear Ane-san?" Warashi rubbed his neck, having somehow ended up between the sofa's seats while sleeping, having required help to get unstuck. "She is with her mate, considering the time." The two yōkai went up the stairs, towards the office. Some of the ninja they met eyed the male, recognizing him, but dismissed the female as his lover or a mere acquaintance. "Here, he shouldn't be busy." After a few knocks, they heard the permission to enter. Warashi was the first, holding the door open for her. Brown clashed with blue, a smirk playing on Mamizou's lips. "Greetings, Hokage-sama. Could you spare a moment?"

The Namikaze could sense the power held in her body, it was like facing a fellow Kage. "I assume you are the 'Boss' mentioned by Warashi." At her nod, he sighed deeply. "Am I permitted to know why you are helping us?" She chuckled, making the Hokage frown. "My friend was raised here, so it's my duty to help keep this place safe." Then she put away her kiseru, adopting a more serious posture. "Are you confident that you can deal with us yōkai? We appreciate respect, the moment one of you decides it's a good idea to shift the blame for their problems on us, we shall leave." Her eyes became ice. "And we shall take the Bijū with us, whether you like it or not." Minato gripped the tri-kunai under his desk, but recalling the scuffle with Warashi, he retreated.

"Why do you care for those b-" The woman was suddenly in front of him, teeth turned fangs bared in a sinister grin. "I dare you to finish~" A chill went down his spine. "Be thankful that my hotheaded acquaintance wasn't here as well, for she would have punched out your head from your shoulders in a second." The Hokage gulped and chose to simply chat, for this woman was above him in experience and fitness. "... Oh, don't worry, in the near future my only interest is to reforge my bond with my Ane-san." The blond frowned, who was this person she kept mentioning as the reason for her aiding Konoha? "You would already know if your ANBU doggies were better at policing the village." Minato cringed at the dig against his own troops.

* * *

Kerberos had been liberated for the day, so he was using the free time to track down the essence of a spirit, having the feeling that it would be something important in the future. _"Ham ban hum~ Twisty, turny~"_ He whistled a tune, distracting himself as he weaved through the streets and avoided people. Unnoticed by him, a swift shadow tailed the hound. _"Yacchatta~"_ He was now swaying to a rhythm only he could hear, as he stepped down an abandoned trail into the woods. His sensitive nose could pick scents of otherworldly beings, while ghosts couldn't be smelled by 'regular' yōkai, his connection to the underworld gave him the ability to perceive them beyond sight, touch, and hearing. "Wow... the air is thick..." It could be an empty clearing with a single pillar on the center, but the lingering energy of Kurama and the heavy regret were palpable to him.

Hana knew not why her subconscious demanded her to follow this man but seeing him interact with the Hyūga and the Uzumaki denoted a trust established between them. Having left her ninken at home, she had fewer weapons at her disposal if this stranger were to be hostile, yet she felt he wouldn't take things down that road. The man was now examining the pillar, jotting down the engravings on the sides, mumbling inaudible things. "What happened here, though?" She perked up at that, recalling that incident more than a decade ago. Now the man was touching the ground as if he could sense something, looking straight at an empty space. When she adjusted her posture to see better, she stepped on some loose dirt, alerting the stranger to her presence. She tried to make a run for it, but once she turned around, there were two clones of the man ready to grab her.

Kerberos watched as his lookalikes came into the clearing while carrying a female with face markings. "Those tattoos... are you an Inuzuka?" Hana gulped, this guy could use ninja techniques and could be a spy, her gut feeling be damned. "Yes, but what's your purpose here?" The hound sighed, his clones let her stalk him due to the absence of hostility, but now she was snarling at him. "I am what you could name as spiritualist, these eyes can see the remains of souls." He touched the pillar, his eyes softening at the feelings still imbued on the rock. "And I sensed a soul here, one who is still unable to pass on due to her attachments." The kunoichi gulped, it was no secret that the wife of the Hokage was one of the people found dead in this clearing, she didn't even notice the clones letting her go and disappearing.

"It's my duty to help the lost find the way to the Sanzu, but she might have a chance to return to the living." Hana's eyes widened at what he implicated with his words. "This woman died before her time, and I have the ability to give her a second chance..." Kerberos turned to the brunette, holding a calm look. "I beg you, don't tell anyone of what you will witness." He walked in a circle around a certain spot, translucent flowers sprouted wherever he stepped on. "These are..." The blood coloring of those spider lilies made her shudder, it was as if she was watching something no mortal should see. _"If people were to learn about his power...!"_ As if a veil was pulled aside, she could see the opaque energy chains wrapped tightly around a human figure, she had figured the identity of the prisoner. _  
_

* * *

**Kerberos got trained by Hinata, and the poisoning bit was taken from how people and animals kill themselves by eating random weed they couldn't identify correctly as toxic. The flower above is the _Lycoris radiata_ , reputed to bloom by the Sanzu, a relative to the Styx. With that, you should figure why Kerberos is able to pull the stunt above, being Hell's guard dog.  
**

 **Are you enjoying the ride, Planeshunter?**

 **P. S.: I shall deal with an issue with how souls are handled, that most, if not all, writers I read until now didn't catch.**

* * *

Well, shall we see how Kokuō fared? **  
**

The horse-like Bijū cracked open his eyes, feeling groggy and seeing everything blurry. Right now he had his human appearance and was laying on a mattress with the scent of herbs around him. _"What happened...? I only recall feeling hungry and..."_ The door got opened, a female carrying a tray with food and tea entered, setting it in front of the man. "You're really lucky that I found you, otherwise you would have died there." Kokuō looked at the gruel and the woman. "What did happen to me?" She sighed and pulled out a book, pointing at a picture. "What you ate back then was a poisonous plant, monkshood. It's deadly, so you must have above-average resistance to be still alive." The man ran a hand over his pale bluish-gray hair, his azure eyes dilating at the idea of almost death. "Can I know the name of my savior?"

Alrighty, time to close the curtains on this chapter.


	21. Chapter 20

Shino could sense the girl chasing him and went into the forest zone, hoping to lose her. But nope, she was glued to his tail and seemed to have better endurance than him. _"This is proving to be a problematic course of events. What prompted her to chase after me?"_ He let out a pained grunt, his kikai were purposely disrupting his joints so the girl could overtake him. _"Why are you betraying me? Is she that interesting to you?"_ At one stumble Fū managed to grab on Shino from behind, making the both of them end up falling on the forest ground. "Guhk-!" The girl could feel her Bijū humming in approval for some reason, so she made the boy turn belly-up for her to see his face. "Oh, you're quite cute!" His hoodie got wrenched open by the impact on the ground and his glasses were flung away, letting her see his face fully.

 _"Only my parents saw my face... I feel unclean..."_ Shino slumped in defeat in her arms, making her think she killed him as he closed his eyes. "Oh shit! Are you dead?" She shook his body in distress. "Don't worry, I'll take you to the hospital!" At that, the Aburame reacted by clinging to a tree, unwilling to let even more people see his naked face. "Come on! You need a check-up!" She tugged at his legs as he held on, the poor plant was groaning under the forces applied by pulling and gripping. As the struggle continued, the mantis was watching dispassionately while munching on a toad. Then, as luck would have it... the bark and some of the outer rings were torn off by the duo, leading to a gag result. The mantis covered its eyes with some foliage to give Fū some privacy.

The laws of physics were tinkered with in that brief moment after the tree lost to the teens, making Shino end up groping the girl. _"This course of events is truly the most problematic of all!"_ The boy got up as fast as a spooked cat and went for his shades, fixing his hoodie so his features were hidden once again. "Forgive me for this, I didn't intend to molest you." After bowing to the girl, he ran away. Fū brushed off the twigs on her hair and stretched her muscles, this boy had given her a good chase. The mantis walked to her and got on her shoulder, finishing with the last bit of the unfortunate toad. "He's really interesting, I wanna find him again. What do you think, Kamaki?" The insect merely began cleaning its clawed arms from the blood and guts on them. The girl poked its head while pouting and went to meet with her team again.

* * *

Warashi was staring at Mamizou with discomfort, as she had looked at him with a smirk once they exited the office. "In your letters, you mentioned a woman named Kurenai, and from what I could glean from your comments, I think you should go after her." His face became colored, not wanting to stay in this situation. "Stop, please..." Perceptive eyes caught a woman with the traits described by her subordinate, who was also watching them with nervousness. _"So it's her... Great~"_ She walked straight to Kurenai, surprising the jōnin and sending her subordinate into disarray. "Oh, you are even prettier than Warashi's reports led me to believe."

The Yūhi was taken aback, not knowing how to process the information just given, only to feel a hand lifting her arm and pressing lightly. "Hmm... You have fitness, I think that my cute little pup made a good choice." Warashi attempted to slap a hand over Mamizou's mouth, but she dodged his tackles. "SHUT UP! THAT WAS A SECRET!" His face took the coloring of a ripe apple as the brunette got a teasing smirk. "Come on~ It's not as if you wrote to me how her scent drives you crazy to the point you want to taste her." After the last evade the man ended in a dumpster, while his boss wasn't even winded or disheveled. "You, Yūhi Kurenai, got my seal of approval." The red-eyed was started at the de facto tone this woman held.

"I fully expect you to take good care of my subordinate." With this she patted the head of the younger woman and walked away, intent on finding her way to the Hyūga and leaving the poor bastard to deal with the consequences. _"What was that?"_ Kurenai blinked and looked at the direction the stranger went. She shook her head and went to help the poor man get unstuck. He spat out a fish head, feeling utterly disgusted. "Who was she?" The woman saw a whole procession of emotions pass by his face until he settled in a frown. "A meddling old hag. - *Atchoo!* - And the owner of my merchant guild." She took off some fish guts out of his hair. "Was she telling the truth, when she said you like me?" The way his face lit up was enough to answer her.

* * *

Kiba was grimacing, his senses had been warning him that he was the only one yet to find a love match. Heck, even Akamaru was already chatting up some ladies at the Inuzuka kennels. _"The chicks say that I smell like wet dog, but I wash well my clothes and take nice baths..."_ This could prove to be an issue, his mother might push him to the spinsters just to get grandchildren. He groaned at that, having seen unfortunate males and females thrown to the wolves for baby-making. _"Should I ask Menma for advice?"_ It would have to wait, Hinata went after him after the training and the redhead had almost killed him and Shino for peeping that one time.

"Man... I don't want to end up old and alone." His loyal companion nudged his face, whining inquisitively. "I didn't mean that you will leave me, buddy. I meant that I might stay single for life." Akamaru gave out a bark, trying to cheer up Kiba. "Let's go to the springs, that spar did a number on us." The puppy darted for the location faster than the boy, leaving him in the dust. "Come on! That was cheating!" The pair of canine shinobi raced towards the onsen, letting out mirthful laughter. Once they arrived there and got undressed, they went to the Inuzuka section. It was fairly recent, holding larger basins to help one wash the typically enormous ninken, specific soaps, and bribery treats. Akamaru went for the soap with the smell of lavender.

"Trying to be nice enough for Hinata? Be careful with that boyfriend of hers, he might castrate you." The dog put it back and picked one with a neutral scent, letting Kiba clean his fur off the grime and dirt. Now the duo was soaking in the warm water, feeling the soreness wash away with the heat. The dog was paddling laps across the separated pool, made for the animals after complaints that revealed that the Inuzuka sneaked their dogs into the regular onsen. "Yo, buddy." *Wohf?* Kiba had a grin. "Let's try combining Gatsūga with Dōton, Kaa-san might even help us with that." Akamaru lowered his ears, that meant that Kuromaru would be involved, and he was scary and intimidating.

* * *

The patriarch of the Hyūga clan was having a quiet and pleasant time with his wife and youngest daughter when a servant came in to tell them that someone who claimed to be Warashi's superior had asked for a meeting. "Then I will-" Usually he wasn't interrupted by people outside of the council or fellow clan leaders, but the young maid took exception. "Excuse me, but she requested the presence of Hitomi-sama as well." This was strange, his wife rarely took part in the meetings. "Thanks for telling us, can you keep watch over Hanabi?" The girl nodded earnestly and took post on a place where the entire garden could be seen. Husband and wife walked side by side, wondering who this guest was. "That merchant, Warashi, must have ties with the monsters..." Hiashi muttered only loud enough for Hitomi to hear. "Hokage-sama tried to contact them... with little success." The man sighed. "Yet... now Namikaze-sama has ongoing projects that can't be disclosed for now."

In a private room with pillows and a small table, Mamizou awaited the patriarch, idly twirling her kiseru. The door slid open and the couple entered. _"What are the chances? The mother is almost like her."_ Keeping her thoughts to herself, the brunette straightened her back as they sat down. "Honored to meet you, I am Mamizou, the boss of Warashi." They retributed the slight bow, presenting themselves as well. They started a brisk chat, trading information on how Warashi had treated them. Hiashi and Hitomi were onto his hunch, as this woman was too perceptive to be 'just a civilian' like the merchant had once claimed about himself. Mamizou's smirk was slightly more pronounced, these humans seemed to be on the right track on their assumptions, their eyes seemed to be searching for aberrant traits.

The woman exhaled the smoke, making it swirl around them. _"Is it becoming thicker?"_ The wisps banded together and multiplied, surrounding them in a cloud that was strangely odorless. "Now that we have privacy..." Mamizou's appearance became more feral as her animal traits surfaced, her tail waving slowly. "Greetings, Hyūga-san. As you can see, I am a yōkai, a member of the races your dear Hokage has attempted to... recruit." Hiashi frowned, some of his clan people had brushed with these creatures with less than pleasant results. One had even almost died at the hands of a reptilian being. "Why show yourself now?" She chuckled, her grin was unnerving with those fangs. "Let's talk about your daughter... Hinata." Hitomi flinched, recalling the incident with Kumo. "She's like you... right?" The tanuki offered a placating smile. "Correct. Here." A painting of a couple was slipped to the couple. "This is her and her husband, in the past."

"Hinata and... Menma?" The man beside an adult Hinata had the same traits as the Uzumaki, even the golden eyes and whiskers were the same. "Now, flip it." On the other side were a kitsune and ryū, exuding not a feral aura, but a friendly one. "Menma is the Kyūbi‽" Before Hiashi could get even more freaked out, he got clocked on the head by a notepad. "Unlike your legends, he and his siblings aren't the monsters you paint them to be." Mamizou sighed, her tail got bristled. "I only came to tell you one thing, your daughter, and her boyfriend, aren't regular existences. They are two of the strongest living beings right now, but their potential is yet to be unlocked." The implication was clear to the pair as they paled. "They will stop being human, and there's nothing you can do to stop it from happening." The couple gulped dryly, wondering about their daughter's future. "I hope this doesn't alienate you from your daughter." Those brown orbs held a dangerous glint as if saying: 'if you hurt her, I will kill you'.

* * *

Kerberos reached his hand for one of the chains, not minding the apparently frosty metal that let out wisps of icy mist. Closing his fist around the links, he pressed on the material, crushing it in his grip. Thin fissures could be seen running in both directions, the entire chain was breaking apart. Once it shattered into tiny fragments that disappeared instantly, the man flinched as a large welt took shape across his chest, staining the shirt with blood. The woman wondered who had raised him to be this selfless, as he was sacrificing his own well-being to a stranger. Then she realized a fact, there were at least five more chains to break, and this injury was caused by only one of them...But he held strong and proceeded to shatter each and every one of them, accumulating wounds to the point he was now letting blood out from his mouth.

Each chain broken translated into more grievous cuts on his skin, but Kerberos didn't stop and was now down to a single chain, that enveloped the ethereal female he wished to bring back to life. His ribs were splintered and his skin looked like it got flayed moments ago. "Stop! You're going to die at this rate!" He didn't hear Hana, too focused on using the remainder of his strength to undo the last bind. A flash of light blinded the Inuzuka for a moment, coming from the silhouette. _"It hurts..."_ She was puzzled at how they didn't get ANBU attention yet, only to notice the ominous atmosphere, the skies were darker and those sinister red flowers could be seen sprawling until where her sight reached. _"Is this the realm of the dead?"_ The ambient slowly returned to normalcy, Kerberos was panting in exertion and grunting with pain, a slumbering redhead female was laying on the grass, clad in a simple dress.

Hana was covering her mouth in shock, Kerberos had willingly suffered great damage to his body just to bring this woman he didn't even know back to life. "Hey, you are hurt, don't exert yourself..." She went to prop his body and help him lay down, seeing the amount of blood he was still coughing. "Damn, this really sucks..." Was it her impression, or was Kerberos actually shrinking in size? In a few blinks, she was now gazing down at a passed-out three-headed Pomeranian. "... What?" She rubbed her eyes, not believing what she just saw. "Oh, well..." She tied the woman to her back and held the dog gingerly on her arms, putting a genjutsu on herself to deflect unwanted attention. _"Uzumaki Menma should be my best bet."_

* * *

A bandaged man stared at the creatures that rattled their cages. _"What a pity that my agents couldn't subdue that crocodilian monster, it would be a good source of capable ninjas."_ Danzō had an assortment of low-level monsters, who were mostly imps and beastmen. He had attempted to breed them, desiring to use the offsprings, but they had noticed his intentions. _"So many dependable men and women died..."_ They had screeched in their particular language, but the Shimura knew that these things could comprehend the Elemental language. He approached one of the younger beasts, a child with bunny ears and a foul gaze. _"Once I break each and every one of you, Minato will be powerless before my hybrid troops."_ He was no fool, the escape attempts took increased intensity once this hellion came in, along with an older one with lavender hair. _  
_

* * *

 **I'll admit, I got the idea for the scene with puppy Kerberos after googling 'Pomeranian werewolf' and 'chihuahua Cerberus'. ... Gonna rewatch the anime to have a general outline of the events. Next chapter will be about Menma and Hinata becoming yōkai, for real this time! And the Chūnin written test as well.  
**

* * *

This will be the last side story for Kokuō.  


After recovering from his self-poisoning, the equine Bijū came to know that his rescuer was named Keine. Not wanting to end up dead in some field, he decided to ask the hakutaku for tutoring. "Okay, it's always nice to see more people interested in learning." Under her wing, the Bijū came to know almost everything about the plants on both continents, but now he desired to know more, having received the spark of the drive to research. Keine had watched over Kokuō, ready to give him first aid every time he ate or drank a herb mixture. _"So many poisons and medicines..."_ She couldn't take her eyes off him for even a second, or else she would find him suffering from a bad concoction. It was the routine they settled in as they got to know each other, one that would continue until the fateful day.

The crow came by with a newspaper like always. "What did Kurama-nii do this time?" The front piece had the Kyūbi and a Ryū facing the broken-off antler of the latter, with Hinata still shedding some tears in pain and the fox in clear distress. Kokuō hoped this wouldn't sour things with Hamura, the man was Satan incarnate when his dear child was involved. "Oh, so that's one of your siblings?" Keine got to know some of his fellow Bijū when they visited, but only from One to Four. She was yet to meet those from Five to Nine. During their daily interactions, they grew to like each other romantically and began sharing the same room. _"Who'd guess that I would meet my pair after almost killing myself?"_ Together they manned a small school, teaching the kids important skills for life.


	22. Chapter 21

**Seriously... When you readers only skim this fic, with the few favorites and followings, it makes me think that you just look through it and say 'that's interesting, but not much.'.**

 **This might be seen as review-whoring, but I don't care. Can't you spare a few minutes to inform me your thoughts?  
**

* * *

A young couple was cuddling on the sofa, she was sitting on his lap, Menma was massaging the kinks off Hinata's shoulders, hearing her talk about her training. "How do you think your brother will perform at the Exam?" The redhead leaned his forehead on the bluenette's shoulder. "Honestly? I want to kill Kakashi for under-training that walking target. But he's a lucky son of a bitch, so he might advance a few stages." They heard knocking on the door, so he sent a clone to attend it. A brunette with a dark green coat entered the room after the copy had closed the door and dispelled, smiling at the pair. Menma stared at the woman along with his girlfriend, feeling a tic on his brow. "Mamizou?" At her nod Hinata jumped on her, having received some of Hina's affection for the tanuki. The redhead sighed with annoyance, his irritation was palpable, a sentiment shared by the woman. "Nice to meet you too, brother-in-law."

Hinata felt slightly awkward as they glared daggers at each other, the ancient rivalry still burning strongly. "Did you bring the medicine Warashi spoke about?" Wordlessly, a tiny leather bag was placed on the coffee table. Before they could continue the chat, the door got pounded with the force of a battering ram. Menma went to open it himself, only to receive a brutal kick to the shin, making him crumple in a heap on the floor. "Fuck me..." Hana looked sheepishly at the downed chūnin, her leg still poised to kick again. Hinata went to help him as Mamizou aided the Inuzuka with her loads, picking the redhead female. "So you saw...?" Hana had pursed lips. "The red flowers? Him bringing someone to life? His beastly appearance? Yes, to all." The tanuki sighed and went to the room that Menma pointed at, being a spare bedroom that had the bare minimum of a bed and wardrobe. _"I wonder who she is."_

Hana was cradling Kerberos on her lap, talking with Mamizou about their land. "Could you tell me who taught him to be this altruistic?" The Inuzuka had a pleading look, one that was met with a strange breed of mirth. "Hinata. She was his teacher in a past life. By the way, the reason I'm standing here... is because that lovable fool sacrificed herself as well, just to take down the legacy of a bigot." The kunoichi met the Hyūga's eyes, for some reason it didn't sound that farfetched. "From what Kiba-chan tells me, you must be telling the truth." She ran her fingers through Kerberos' fur, the scene she had witnessed was still raw in her mind. "Will he be fine?" The tanuki mused about it. "How long was the person he revived been dead?" Hana glanced at Menma. "Kushina-sama was gone for thirteen years." Mamizou pulled out her kiseru and lit it, taking a puff. "Then it's clear, he and the woman will have thirteen days to recover before they awaken."

Menma was nursing the bruise on his leg as he mulled over what he heard. "Are you okay?" Hinata knew who Kushina was from her mother and his silence worried the girl. "How will she react... when she hears that I'm Kyūbi? That she birthed a Bijū?" Her pale eyes shifted, her mood got affected by his. "Mami-chan told my parents about us and they took it rather well... Maybe the same thing will happen with Kushina-san?" Hana heard the chat and began thinking about the issue as well. "Menma-san, were you the one who attacked Konoha that day?" Hazel and gold clashed. "That was a husk that I abandoned long ago. - Like a cicada. - But it retained instinctive behaviors, and an Uchiha could still control it like a puppet." He recalled the talk with the Shinigami years prior. The Inuzuka sighed and deposited the puppy in a basket lined with a blanket. "So it wasn't your fault... I'll come later with my vet tools to treat Kerberos."

* * *

Hana had done good to her words and returned with medical supplies, bandaging up Kerberos and setting an IV-drip for the animal. "I wish him a swift recovery." Then she examined Kushina, finding her completely healthy. _"Will you accept or reject Menma-san?"_ She had no way to guess the redhead's reaction but hoped things wouldn't go downhill. Mamizou had explained that Kerberos had traded away a portion of his own lifespan so the Uzumaki could return, but being one of the most long-lived races, a hundred years were a drop in the pool for him. Hinata had to return home, the female tanuki went to do her own business in the village, and Warashi had stayed with Kurenai. _"Things might get interesting soon."_ Menma didn't know what could happen in the potential invasion, but he wished Konoha no harm.

Later in the night, as the couple sat on their respective beds, they looked at a pale green marble-like sphere. _"That tanuki/Mamizou-chan brought it already, so I shouldn't waste it."_ It had no discernible taste and went down smoothly with a swig of water. At first, there was nothing new, then their eyelids began drooping. _"Mm... I feel drowsy... is it the pill...?"_ Their heads hit the pillow as they blacked out. Their skeletons changed shape, growing more bones and developing new limbs. Fur and scales covered bare skin, the fangs and claws grew while they slumbered. This process would usually cause agony, but the Kōsei pill was the pride of its creator. Its craftsmanship was refined through the centuries until most of its ill effects got mitigated, letting the couple unlock their yōkai side painlessly.

Hinata woke up to smooth scaly arms, legs, and belly, having the remainder of her body and a tail covered by fur-like feathers similar to kiwis. She also sported catfish-like whiskers and stubby antlers. **"Oh, that's quite the smooth transition. I got worried that you could end up causing a ruckus."  
** Her tigrine muzzle was somewhat jarring, but in time she would get used to it. - Menma groaned as he woke, it was too hot in his room. _"Did someone put winter blankets on me?"_ No, it was caused by nine long and bushy tails covered with russet fur. The sounds and chatter coming from the outside made the vulpine ears shift to better hear them. **"Shouldn't you try going back to human? I don't think the village will dig the Kyūbi look yet."** \- Hinata looked at herself in the mirror, trying to see if she had some ryū bits she forgot to retract. _"Will Menma like our other appearance?"_ **"Why don't you go after him and see for yourself?"**

Kurama and Menma had both noticed something new. **"Wow... I remember when Mito or Kushina would try to use these to intimidate us."** Menma stared at the transparent chains wrapped around his arms, marveling at its strange styling (Prince of Wales) and wondering how he could use it in combat. **"How ironic, the very tool used to subjugate a Bijū, belong to one now."** Then an idea struck the teen, could he make weapons or semi-sentient constructs? **"Well, I used to make fire beings to entertain Hina. Maybe you can use a similar power?"** With this in mind, Menma focused on the chains, creating a mental picture. The head of a fox appeared on the end of the links on his left arm, and on his right hand was a kusarigama, with both a straight blade and a curved one. **"Hey brat, I can control this thing!"** Kurama's voice rang from the disembodied head as it moved on the air, sporting a wide grin. "Oh, that's nice!"

* * *

Several days went by, with Mamizou briefly returning to her land to check on Gaara, Hinata and Menma training with their yōkai forms with Warashi and the village preparing for the Chūnin Exams. Kiba had noticed Shino more reclusive than the usual, so he ambushed the Aburame and dragged him to the Uzumaki's favorite udon stand. "Yo, Yatabuki-san! We'll borrow your customer for a short time!" Menma futilely tried to hold on the stool, but the Inuzuka was stubborn as a donkey and won. "What's the matter?" The trio was sitting in a clearing, the lone stumps right behind them. "Come on, Shino. We're all pals here." Under the combined stares, the bug-user relented. "I... I had an unfortunate accident, with a kunoichi from another village." This made the listeners perk up and pay multiplied attention.

"Elaborate, so we know the situation." Shino sighed and told them what happened a few days ago. Once he was finished, the Inuzuka and Uzumaki were slack-jawed. "You... groped a Taki ninja?" Kiba began trembling as he uselessly attempted to cover his mouth, guffaws were rolling out without stopping, and Menma had a look of understanding and patted the Aburame's shoulder. "I was in a similar tough spot." - During one of his stays at the Hyūga compound, Menma ran onto a Hinata getting ready for a bath. **E** **VERYTHING** was laid bare for him to see, and as luck would have it, Hiashi and Hizashi caught him on the scene and began a fox balls hunt. - The two teenage boys got a depressive aura around them, fellows in fearing for their manhoods. In the meanwhile, the only sounds were of a dog-boy crowing with laughter and slapping the rock with mirth.

"Well, if she hasn't brought her team to hunt for you, maybe she dismissed it and forgot by now." Shino was crestfallen, his kikai had indicated that she would be an optimal mate for him, and her having the mantis as companion showed that she might not mind his little allies. "Of all outcomes, this is one of the better ones..." A winded Kiba went to his teammate to show support. "Don't worry, we can be both single uncles to Hinata's and Menma's kids!" This earned him a slap on the head from the Uzumaki. "Ow." Shino let himself bask on the support displayed by his friends, not noticing how they were cringing as his kikai began crawling under their clothes. _"Fuck... now I really want to take a bath..."_ But they bit the kunai and withstood this small hindrance, even if the bugs were aiming at VERY PRIVATE zones. _"I'll ask Gai where he buys spandex, a pants version should help in the future."_

The Aburame thanked the pair and went home. "Is he far enough?" "Just wait a few more seconds..." The Inuzuka was making a constipated face. "It's safe." They began scratching their backs on the trees and then ran for the public bath. Kiba complained of how the feeling of tiny legs all over his particular zones was chilling, while Menma wordlessly plucked the naughty kikai from his hair and other places, taking care to not crush them. "We only need to warn him to get better control, Hinata did so and she stopped complaining about this issue." The brunet just huffed and dumped water on himself. "Whatever, this' no different from hunting for fleas after a kennel cleaning."

* * *

A pitiful whine rang in the wake of two dark streaks that flitted through the air, two tengus were in searching for the legendary weapons once described by Hamura himself. "Where should we go?" The short-hair was carrying a young lupine beastgirl like a potato sack as the long-hair looked at the device on hands. "I'm trying to narrow the locations we need to search, stop nagging me!" Until where they knew, the items could be buried too deep for them to find. "And why are you still carrying her? We could have ditched her around Kumo." It was a matter of poor timing, as the duo had suspected she would snitch on them, which led to the current state of things. "I guess that I got a bit attached, she looks cute." The stare just screamed 'filthy pedo'. As the tengus argued, the wolfgirl was weary from the escape attempts and just accepted her fate, she also thanked the heavens that her weapons were secured in a scroll. _"When will this end?"_

* * *

 **I thought of Kratos's chain blades and the Mario Chain Chomps to create Menma's new weapons. What do you think about that? About the last paragraph... Plot bunnies are unstoppable. Will they be meaningful later? ... Maybe.**

* * *

Teasers:

"Hrm? Peeper?" *Cha-plash!* "Come here! You fucker!" - Mamizou had intended to get a relaxing onsen soak before she hit the road, but what did she get? A shitty pervert spying on her and some other women. She glared at the man currently hogtied on the ground, having covered herself with an illusion. "Do you know who you're dealing with? I'm the awe-inspiring Gama Sannin of Myōbokuzan!" She knew the title, but her pride would have none of that bullcrap. Jiraiya saw her aura darken to the point it looked like a monstrous specter. _"I'm screwed..."_

* * *

Golden orbs scrutinized the genin. "So you came to me... for training?" "Nii-san, I beg you! Kakashi-sensei went off somewhere with Sasuke and left me with a closet perv!" Menma closed his eyes, his twin would go against the prodigious Hyūga, and then he might face the Uchiha if he won against the Taki girl. "Fine." "Aw! Now I gotta find- eh? You will train me?" At the annoyed look, the younger one quiet down. "Thanks, nii-san." The redhead handed a paper with instructions to the blonde. "Be on time, or else..." The glare made Naruto shudder.


	23. Chapter 22

Minato was sitting in his office, eyes closed meditatively as he thought of his son undertaking the exam as he waited for the tanuki duo. _"They told me to have the jōnin currently in Konoha present for the meet... What will they bring to our attention this time?"_ He got up and took his Hokage garbs from the rack and made a good time towards a different place, the encounter was to be held at the ANBU council room, making use of the privacy seals and large space. The ninja he had summoned were already in the room, turning to face him with expectant expressions, wondering which assignment he would give them. "Wait a little longer, I'm not the one you must hear." At this, the double doors behind the platoon creaked open. "Sorry for the delay, I had to deal with a pervert at the onsen." Giving way to the brunette woman the blond met before and... "Menma? Hinata?"

There was no response, the newcomers simply took their place beside the village leader. "Weed out the fakers." Menma pointed out certain people, who were taken out by an unseen threat. Screams of surprise filled the room, the group of around forty dropped down to thirty, as the knocked out ones fell to the floor. "Thanks, Kousaka-san." A female with a pink kimono and dark hair stood by Mamizou, holding a bokken. "Don't worry... I was asked to leave them alive... for now." Minato rose from his seat and grabbed the tanuki's robes, scowling in rage. "Check their mouths. You should find our reason to take them out of the equation." Kakashi was the first to do so, gasping at the find. "Hokage-sama, they have seals on their tongues!" Indeed, one could see the ䷠ etched in ink on the flesh. "Hinata, did you manage to control that ability?" The Hyūga nodded, making her father and uncle in the crowd frown. _"Is that woman talking about...?"_

The girl went for the people lumped in a pile, her fingers on the right hand glowed with chakra, making Hiashi recall the training session in the past. She touched the throats, sending the victims into brief spasms. "How can this be...‽" A jōnin managed to open the mouth of one of the moles and watched as the seal seemed to have chunks bitten off by a bluish energy, fading gradually. "If you could activate the privacy seals, that would be lovely." Minato had steely eyes but complied. The ninjas watched with bated breath, waiting for an unknown happening. The long tails were the most eye-catching trait, as even the woman who knocked out the NE agents had a thin tail that ended with a blade. "K-kyūbi!" Menma was the one who caused the largest uproar, as most of the present had witnessed the attack years ago, so Kousaka positioned herself to prevent attacks on him and Hinata.

Hiashi saw Minato about to pounce, so he moved and gripped the Hokage's wrist, mimicked by his twin who trusted his judgment. "What's the meaning of this? Hiashi!" Pale eyes were impassive as blue eyes became turbulent, the jōnin began chattering in hushed tones at the scene. "Silence. We didn't swap either Hinata or Menma for double agents." The Hyūga chief confirmed Mamizou's words. "Unless you are insinuating that I can't recognize my own daughter..." The redhead was tense, being cradled in the arms of his girlfriend as his single tail whipped with nervousness. "It's time to tell them, Minato-san. The potential invasion of another village isn't something you can keep hidden for long, right⸮" The Namikaze shot a brief glare at the monsters, focusing on the tanuki as he huffed, but began relaying to his forces about the intel obtained on Orochimaru's plans.

* * *

Naruto gulped, this would spell either success or humiliation for him. The building was rather simple, but he could sense the pressure exuded by the applicants and the higher ranked ninja that were keeping watch. The first trap was ignored by Sasuke, who simply dragged his teammates upstairs, reaching the exam room without useless confrontations. There were all their old classmates, save for Team 8, so the blond decided to catch up on their lives. Ino ended up catching a catfight with Sakura, broken by Naruto and Chōji. The ruckus had attracted an older genin, Yakushi Kabuto, who attempted to subtlely scare the newcomers with his tales of brutal past exams, as he had tried for chūnin for 7 years straight, once every 6 months. This simply made the broody Uchiha snort in disdain.

"Oh, so you feel lucky? Then I'll give you a boost." The stack of blank cards caught the general attention. "I have info on some of the genin here, do you wish to see it?" Naruto had asked for info on Menma, but what he got was simply his mission success rate and amount, relationships, and mentors. "Sorry Naruto-san, he's truly a secretive fellow." Then Sasuke asked for some on the Hyūga with a scowl, who seemed to be in their age range. "Hyūga Neji, a prodigious seed from the year above yours." The number of missions taken was predictably higher than theirs, but the fact that his taijutsu could be better than the Uchiha's made him itch for a match. "But that's to be expected from Maito Gai's pupils." Then Naruto recalled how the teen was always glaring at his brother and being pitted against him in the Academy. _"Nii-san never went seriously against him, losing on purpose."_

There was a brief scuffle with Oto nin, as Kabuto had demeaned their village, but it was defused by Ibiki's timely entrance. "I am the jōnin proctor, this stage is to sample your knowledge." He pointed to the board brought by chūnin. "Get to your places within five minutes, anyone standing until then shall be declassified." A few teams were booted out for real, then papers were distributed. "Anyone caught cheating five times will be thrown out along with their team." Naruto lowered his eyes to the paper when Ibiki told them to start, blanching instantly. _"FUCK!"_ He understood jackshit of what was asked, so he ended up almost headbutting the desk. But then he began recalling some of the harder tutoring subjects, picking out similarities with the questions. _"Otou-san was making sure I knew how to pass?"_

That and the fact he wanted to pass right on the first time, like his twin, made him grip the pencil and start solving the codes and writing the answers. He was barely able to finish on time for the last questions, getting nervous at the sight of applicants getting caught left and right. "Very well... There's only one last question so you can go to the second phase... But first, a wake-up call." The Morino took off his bandanna, revealing scars left by sadistic tortures, some even made the onlookers wonder how he still lived. "See? These are the marks you might receive if you accept the responsibilities that come with higher ranks." Some people felt sick at the visage and ran, leading to their teammates getting booted out as well. "Anyone else wants to go?" Naruto was wincing at the man's allegory, but then he recalled his brother. Menma had come back once, with an arm hanging by strips of flesh after having a gory encounter with a bear. "This is a risk I accepted, and one that I will face until the end."

Ibiki raised a brow when the son of the Hokage got up. "Are you forfeiting?" The blond shook his head. "I am a ninja. Since the Academy, I knew things wouldn't be easy forever." The steady gaze was slightly unnerving. "I chose this path, and I will keep walking on it. No matter what life throws at me." A deep breath. "I'll never back down from a challenge! So send the question!" The boy got confused when the man simply chuckled. "You're all approved for the second phase." After checking the clock, Ibiki made a motion and gave a silent order to open the window... A person came barreling from the outside, putting up a banner at the same time with kunais, revealing herself as a boisterous female with purple hair. "... Me breaking the glass was supposed to be part of the scare..." She glared at Ibiki. "Okay! You, runts, are all under my care now! I am Mitarashi Anko, proctor of the second phase!"

* * *

Most of the jōnin had exited the room to make preparations for the foretold attack on the village, tracing surveillance schedules and priming traps. Minato and Kakashi remained behind, glaring at the yōkai and the Hyūga twins. "To think that I raised a Bijū... And you turned another into one of you..." Menma snarled, making Hinata hold him closer. "Raise me‽ You left me to be brought up by sitters! Naruto was your only priority besides this shithole!" Hiashi glanced at the boy, then turned to the Hokage. "With due respect... You are an idiot." The clan head could see the blond get angrier. "Why are you accepting him‽ He's a monster!" The Namikaze got into a brief standoff with the Hyūga. "I don't care about his race. He could be even a shinigami, and I would accept him." He motioned for Hizashi to help him take the young couple away, as they had gone back to human appearances.

"Now that they are gone, I'll tell you..." Mamizou directed her word at the Namikaze. "If you had attacked, you could have considered our support forfeit." The Hatake brought out a kunai, mirrored by Kousaka in his actions. "Are you threatening us?" The silverhead had his focus split between the females, but the kunoichi had her full attention on the aggressive male. "No. It's a warning. I'll return back to my homeland later today, so their safety will be in your hands. But I have another issue." Some photos were tossed at the Konoha natives, depicting mangled masked people. "Those were some of the agents caught lately, prowling around Kumo yōkai, biopsies indicated their birthplace as Konoha. What do you have to say for yourselves?" The tanuki didn't wait for a reply, as the Hokage was taking too long to answer. "I entrust them to you, Kousaka."

The woman watched impassively as the blond seemed to struggle with something in his mind, but her duty was towards the couple taken by the Hyūga twins, so she simply walked away. She was like a shadow, walking past people unnoticed, going towards the Hyūga compound. It was simple for her to sneak past the guards and find her marks. Dark eyes watched over the small family, noticing the shakiness on the redhead. "First that forsaken sage... and now Minato..." Hinata was hugging Menma as her parents sat by them. "Your blood family may refuse you, but you're always welcome here." Hitomi petted the boy's head, offering an honest smile. Hiashi had a somber expression, thinking of what his daughter did to the NE. "Hinata." She turned to face her father. "That technique you used... Can it be applied on the Sōke jūin?"

* * *

 **Insert written test, snake seals, forest survival, and the preliminaries here.**

 **Passing people are -** **Naruto vs Neji** **, Shikamaru vs Temari, Kankurō vs Dosu,** **Sasuke vs Fū**

* * *

Kerberos was the first to awaken, blinking away the remnants of his sleepiness. _"Where am I?"_ There were arms cradling him and the room wasn't one he had seen in Menma's apartment. He was still a gray Pomeranian, but now he only had one head. Once he was aware enough, Kerberos managed to recognize Hana as the one holding him. His struggle woke up the Inuzuka, who rubbed the sleep off her eyes. "You finally woke up." She sat up on her bed, holding the doggy on her lap. "Kerberos, my name is Hana. Your friends let me take care of your wounds, that's why you are here with me." Red orbs stared at the kunoichi until the canine simply huffed and flopped on his back. "I'm still feeling ill." This earned him scratches on the neck and ribs, along with the warm glow of the greenish basic Iryō jutsu.

The man had recovered reasonably in these few comatose days, holding some stiffness and soreness. Thankfully for Hana's youthful hormones, Kerberos had transformed into a fully clothed person, but the tight shirt did nothing to appease her raging fantasies. Then the doorknob twisted, revealing her mother, who saw Kerberos instantly. The matriarch could sniff how their scents were mixed, as her daughter had slept together with the dogman for a few nights, misunderstanding the situation in a logical way. "Bring him to the dojo." Once the door got closed, Hana buried her face in the pillow, letting out a strangled groan. "Do I have to worry?" The hellhound got worried at the aside glance, having seen it before, preceding bad times. "How do we solve this?" The male was scratching the back of his head, Tsume's tone reminded him of whenever a subordinate of Mamizou was about to get a massive scolding, and this made him shiver at the idea.

Tsume was in full battle garb and Kuromaru was with his fangs bared. Kerberos was in seiza, with Hana by his side, both being slowly grilled by the fierce gazes from the Inuzuka matron and her partner. "Hm... brat." Red met yellow. "Tsume, his scent is similar to those monsters the Hokage sought after." The lupine ninken got up and approached the man, his single eye focused like a hawk's. "From where did you come from?" There was no fooling the woman and the ninken. "Only if you swear to keep secret what you see, for now." Tsume frowned and Kuromaru growled, but they accepted the condition. Three canine heads, a long tail, and silver fur, those were the traits Kerberos let out. "The reason I was with Hana is that I suffered injuries, so she took me under her care." Tsume raised a brow but stayed silent. "Also, I was sent here as a guarantee, thanks to my abilities. A foreteller saw someone using reanimated corpses against Konoha." This stunned the woman, having heard of the potential attack by Orochimaru. _"He's depraved enough to consider doing it!"_

* * *

Minato was still reeling from the shock of finding out Menma's true race, and now the boy had called for him and Naruto to meet at the Hyūga compound. _"Why did this happen to me...?"_ He followed the servant through the corridors, hearing the insistent questions his son fired at the young maid about the inner workings of the clan. Once they reached the room, the girl bowed and went to tend to her other duties, leaving the duo alone. "Let's go, Naruto." When they opened the door, the bawling of a woman could be heard, one that made the older blond feel nostalgic. _"Is that-?"_ He saw two females, blue and red hair clashed as old friends were in a tearful reunion. "Kushina‽" Purple and blue met, followed by cries of happiness. The man was in disbelief, he had seen her die! But this didn't keep him from taking her in a bear hug.

"How‽" Even the Hokage was unable to hold back his tears, repeating this incredulous question over and over. Once they let go of the embrace, Kushina went to the pair obscured by the Hyūga couple, whose sight incensed the man. "Stay away from him!" The redhead female had a quizzical look as she petted Menma's hair, who had vulpine ears out, with Hanabi tugging at them while Hinata watched from the side. "Minato? Don't you recognize our son?" Menma glanced at his 'father' with a bored look, getting up with the little girl on his back. "It's fine, kaa-san. I think we should keep distance." The Uzumaki left the room accompanied by the Hyūga sisters. "Kushina?" Hitomi saw how her face began darkening, as she had heard everything about her son, from infancy until recently, but wished to give her husband the benefit of doubt.

Minato saw Hiashi's eyes widening a tiny fraction, while Kushina had her back to the blondes. "Naru-chan, go play with your brother. Mama has to **talk** to Papa." The boy didn't need to be told twice, dashing out of the door like a cat chased by dogs. Hitomi got pulled away by her husband, resisting briefly until she saw him shake his head. "We'll return later." Luckily for the pockets of the clan, the room was one custom made for heavy duty sparring, so it would hopefully contain the wrath of the red death. The sounds of cracking knuckles sent the Namikaze into alert. "You promised to take care of both our sons..." The chakra chains were out. "They told me of how you treated Men-chan until he moved out..." The room was locked from the outside and there were no windows. "Grit your teeth and don't cry."

* * *

A pair of ANBU-like ninja was stalking two children, their blank masks fixated on the one who had the traits of a Komodo centaurian. (Do not harm it. Knock out gas.) They communicated through sign language to not alert the brats, some yōkai had an absurd hearing as they had witnessed with the beast-kin. (And the other?) The leader peered at the mentioned one, taking note of the cloak that was twitching abnormally as if hiding inhuman limbs. (It may be a sibling, capture it too.) But what they failed to take notice, was that when you dealt with yōkai, you had to take the same care as with wild animals, and in this case was "even if you can't see the parent, it doesn't mean they aren't around". Unseen by the NE, there was an adult keeping watch for threatening behavior. Once the lackeys of Danzō shifted to strike, large claws descended on their bodies, mauling them lethally.

* * *

 **Kousaka is the MGE Kunoichi, who is a succubus variant with lessened libido in this fanfic. And yes, I cut out the preliminaries, no way I'm going to try to make all new matches, and most fanfics are all about the same content "yadda yadda" that you must be sick of rereading. Just have Naruto get pissy at Neji's attitude and Lee get beaten by Fū with 7 tails/Chōmei's help.**


	24. Chapter 23

Naruto had searched for Menma, who was in a separate room and with the Hyūga sisters. Once the blond entered the room, Hinata took Hanabi away, figuring it would be a tense conversation. "So... are you really Kyūbi? Otou-san was ranting about it earlier." A simple nod was all the redhead offered. "Well... um..." Menma had an impassive look, which made his twin nervous. After a few more minutes of fidgeting, the redhead was getting tired of waiting. "Did you come to talk or not?" The Namikaze gulped, would he accept his request? "I was thinking of asking something. Kakashi-sensei wants to focus on Sasuke and handed me a crappy substitute." Thick red streaks twitched, belying irritation at the pussyfooting. "I want you to train me, so I can beat Neji!" Gold met blue. "First... what are your thoughts about me?" Naruto frowned in confusion. "You're my brother, you being Kyūbi changes nothing." The room became silent once again, Menma crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

Naruto wasn't the kind of person who liked to wait, but his twin was one with a low tolerance for his typical behavior, so he did his best to keep quiet. "... Fine." "Aw! Now I have to- eh?" At the dumbfound look, Menma repeated himself that yes he would give training. "From what I know about large chakra pools, you need control. The onsen waters should be a nice challenge." The blond perked up and got eager. "Let's go now!" Before Menma could protest, the blond had already grabbed his wrist and began dragging him there. The duo went for the less used spring, as the water was too hot for people to use. "The water is turbulent, so your control must be your absolute best to stay on." A perverted giggle was heard, making the twins think of the biggest horndog made by Konoha. "Wanna catch a felon?" Both disliked perverts and were raised to respect boundaries, so they hatched a plan to deal with him.

Warashi and Kerberos were at the open air onsen, hoping to catch up on things while there was nobody else in the water. "Any luck with Kurenai-san?" The hellhound was genuinely curious, holding an expectant look. "I think that I'm making progress, but it's early to tell if she wants a relationship." This earned the tanuki a joyous grin. "And you? Hana-san seemed to be worried about you that day..." At this, the red-eye began scratching his head. "I dunno... her scent is nice, but I know nothing of dating or stuff..." Then their ears caught snickering, making them growl in anger. - Jiraiya couldn't believe his luck! two beautiful and shapely kunoichi were in the water, providing ample material for his fap smut. Then something seemed to catch the attention of the females and they left his sight. He attempted to readjust his position to see them again, but a blood red iris suddenly appeared at the same time a hand clamped on his shoulder.

Warashi showed a bestial paw with sharp claws as a huge silver wolfdog with bared teeth landed by them, making the sage consider his options. They were about to start raining hurt on the geezer when a voice made them stop. "Menma-san?" The redhead stared at the old man. "Naruto needs training, so leave him alive." Kerberos had a feral grin, it meant only that they had to refrain from inflicting lethal wounds. "Just let us have a little **chat** with him." The tanuki dragged the struggling man behind a wall. "Nii-san?" Naruto got startled by the cries and beating sounds that arose, followed by howls of glee and screams of pain. "They're Kerberos and Warashi, people like me." The blond got the implication. "Ah-eh-er... Okay, then." A few minutes later, the same man who had spoken to Naruto in Nami came with a beat-up Jiraiya on hands. "Next time we catch you here... castration. And boy..." The blond perked up. "Orthros said that he wants a rematch."

* * *

Kurenai was still thinking of the meeting, having seen the yōkai in person. _"If Mamizou-san is one... Warashi..."_ She had to find him and make it clear to herself that his affection wasn't a ploy. She had this tiny fear that he had come to her to try and extract secrets of Konoha. She knew not where he could be, maybe he had returned to his lands, so she wandered around the village. "Stop trying to tease me and go!" The voice came from the onsen area. "Aw~ Tama-chan, there's no need to be this rough!" She arrived on time to see the tanuki kick the hellhound on his way. "Warashi?" The man flinched at her demanding tone, the underlying request for a private chat all too clear. "Okay, let's go." - They were in her apartment, an awkward silence hung heavy over them. Kurenai was staring intently, trying to find any detail that indicated him being not human.

He let out a deep sigh. "You saw Menma and Hinata... right?" She nodded, making him frown. "Well, I think there's no harm then." Rounded ears and a poofy tail came into sight. "That's the same as..." Kurenai had a slight frown, her mind wasn't used to seeing humans with animal traits. "I and Mamizou-sama are the same species, tanuki." He saw her hand twitch in a way he was familiar with. "You can touch them if you want." He leaned down his head and curled his tail in her direction. "Warashi..." It felt soft and warm, like the ones of a puppy. "You know... that's something reserved for lovers." They jumped back from the voice owner and from each other, the man even got bristled like a cat. "Kousaka-san!" The kunoichi had a neutral face, but her words made Kurenai blush. "Mamizou-sama handed me this... it's for you." A small leather pouch landed on his hands. "How did you get in?" "The door was unlocked... I shall take my leave."

Warashi opened the pouch to see the contents, but once he recognized what it was, his face got red with embarrassment. "What's the matter?" Kurenai saw a paper slip and grabbed it, seeing something written. /A little gift for you to use with that girl, about time you got a match, so gimme lots of grandpups. Mamizou./ She dropped the note and got flustered. "I told her to stay off my business..." Warashi was with his face to the floor, too overwhelmed with his emotions caused by a nosy boss. The pouch's contents? Viagra. "Guoohhh... They had warned me about that hag..." At the quizzical expression, Warashi saw fit to explain. "My boss came to see the tanukis she takes under her care as her own family, but she can be a little... eager."

* * *

Naruto was almost bouncing with excitement, as he would have his brother and godfather to train him! "I'll start it-" The blond hopped on the spring, expecting to stay on the surface, but... *Splish!* He fell like a rock into the scalding liquid, making Jiraiya frown. "Your control shouldn't be this atrocious, even with your... chakra pool." Then the Sannin recalled the bit on Orochimaru. "Did you receive a strike to your stomach?" At Naruto's nod, the man prepared himself to undo the damage, slamming his fingers over the seal. "Ghack-!" Menma helped his brother sit up, glaring at the elder. "That should do the trick, try again." Now the jinchūriki could walk on the turbulent water, although barely. "So it was a seal... Nii-san, when can we start training with your chakra?" The Gama Sennin was no fool, connecting the dots instantly and reaching for the redhead, who dodged his swipe. "So you are the Kyūbi‽ Naruto, step behind me!" Menma only had a bored expression as his twin attempted to calm the man. "He's still my brother! If you attack him... I'll hate you forever!" This made the white-hair wince and relent. "Okay, but you both need to explain everything to me." Naruto went back to training his control under the double tutelage, but now there was a slight tension between them. Naruto didn't wish to lose this chance to bond with his brother, hoping to make his godfather shed his apprehension towards Menma. _"How's the teme doing right now?"_

=^.^=

Sasuke was panting harshly and holding his arm, still feeling the collateral damage of a botched jutsu. "I told you, you must shield your own flesh from the Chidori's effects, or your arm might end up useless." The raven-hair clicked his tongue in disdain. "This minor setback won't hold me back... I'm an Uchiha, and I will master your technique!" Kakashi had a bored look, simply sighing and passing more instructions to his apprentice. _"His opponent is dangerous... To beat Gai's pupil and take the strikes of Hachimon without flinching..."_ Fū of Takigakure was a strong foe, one that couldn't be underestimated. Sasuke was making progress by leaps and bounds, having seen the Hatake use his personal jutsu through the Sharingan and learning elemental chakra quickly. _"I recognize you as a strong opponent, but I will crush you anyway."_

=^.^=

A girl with green hair sneezed, making the mantis on her shoulder jerk with a start. "Sorry, Kamaki. It must have been the dust." She sniffed and swiped at her nose, cleaning the dirt that rose from the pavement. "So the Aburame live... here!" She looked at a gate with tall trees behind, spying a covered-up person examining the ants walking into a crack. _"Girl or dude?"_ Whatever was their gender, Fū was only interested in finding the boy she met in the woods. "Hey~ you! Yes, you!" She bounded towards the guard while holding a sketch, her speed made the insect hold for dear life on her back. "I came to visit... Shino." She had asked around for the boy and got this name, as he was the most likely match to her description. "Shino-sama? What are your intentions?" She felt a bit awkward at the stare. "I bumped on him these days and wanted to get to know him better." At this moment the mantis got on her shoulder, making the Aburame become star-struck. "Let me examine this marvelous specimen then you can enter."

* * *

Hinata had gone to walk around the village, enjoying some cinnamon buns as she strolled by the merchant district. "Still a cinnamon lover, eh?" Kerberos came closer, coming from the general direction of the onsen. "Hello, Kero-chan." They fell into stride, with the taller male slowing his pace. "How did things go with him?" She sighed, making him fear the worst. "His mother accepted the truth about him, having learned her mistakes towards Kurama, but his father doesn't seem to be changing his views so soon." The hound scratched his head, wondering if he could ask something. "By the way, Menma sent his thanks for what you did." Then the girl noticed a presence following them and took a quick peek with her byakugan. _"Hana-san?"_ The female was hiding in an alley and spying on them.

The Inuzuka scolded herself for her behavior but recalled her mother, who had booted her out until she made even one millimeter of progress with the male romantically. _"How much do you want his genes‽ Stupid alpha bitch!"_ Tsume made her daughter remain with her as Kerberos left the room to do whatever he needed in the village. "Leave, Kuromaru, it's a talk between mother and pup." The wolf-dog complied in silence. The young Inuzuka pursed her lips, the matron and the dog were rarely apart. "I was around your age when I had you, and that male seems to be quite the fine stud." Hana almost sputtered at the straight-forwardness. "The Hokage has made plans to introduce more of his kin, so it should be fine if you made my grandkids with him." Her face became the same color as her face tattoos, as the woman kept demanding her daughter to seduce the dog.

Considering the situation, Hinata analyzed the factors present to reach a conclusion. **"Kero-chan is a total dunce when it comes to romance..."** Hina told that the hellhound was a 50-years-old virgin, not having tasted anything related to relationships that weren't platonic. _"Ah, I see the problem now..."_ Kurama had the same issue way back then, as Hagoromo didn't see the need to educate the Bijū on love. It was only after a few fumbles with her back then and a meeting with Hamura that the fox attained a healthy grasp on romance. "Kerberos, do you have something to tell me?" The man flubbed a little with his words, nodding quickly. "Then let's go to a training ground, it's not too far." As her other father had done with her boyfriend, she would help her pupil learn about this part of life.


	25. Side tales - 1

**Events out of Konoha  
**

Talos was standing at the center of the ring, his piercing eyes examining his son and potential son-in-law. After the extensive badgering from his daughter, Valerie, he cut the number down to four of his sons, but Talos himself would be the final foe. The young bulls had secretly agreed to let this man win against them, as Bee had made Valerie become smitten with him as much he was with her. _"He seems good for our little ginger, but Otou-sama might wreck our plans..."_ That was the reason for Bee managing to win against four straight matches, as the brothers couldn't hold back too much, else their father suspected of foul play. Bee was panting, as even with the Hachibi aiding him, the minotaurs weren't pushovers and gave him quite the workout. And now he had to face the strongest and most experienced of the bunch, Talos himself.

Bee didn't wish to injure Valerie's father, as he wished to be in his good graces, but the same couldn't be said of the auroch. The broad ax had a menacing glint, one that seemed to screech for blood. The jinchūriki barely had time to react, as the blade came descending on him in a moment. But it wasn't enough, as a deep cut formed on his chest, going from the left collarbone to the last right rib. "Kuh-!" Talos didn't have the concept of 'mercy', his eyes seemed to drink the sight of the red liquid flowing from the gash down to the gravel. The siblings around the ring couldn't believe how cruel their father was acting. _"Otou-sama, he isn't a lowlife who wants to hurt Valerie!"_ The minotaur proceeded to harass the injured man with his blade and horn strikes, tiring the jinchūriki even faster. "Time to end this." Talos took distance and lowered his head, aiming for a ram and bracing his legs.

Valerie's eyes dilated at the sight of the deadly charge, jumping down to the ring so she could counter her father and save Bee. Stomps rumbled from two sources as the man glanced up, seeing the woman he fell for advancing towards Talos with her own horns poised to strike. _"Please, don't get hurt..."_ He winced as the ax slash throbbed and leaked more blood. As the minotaur had shifted his own balance for the charge, it was easier for his daughter to take him off his hooves with a hit to the ribs, receiving a nasty bruise and scrapes from rolling on the gravel. "Valerie! What's the meaning of this?!" Instead of replying, she put one hoof on his neck and pointed a dagger at his eye. "I think he proved himself enough, stop tormenting him and just let us be." Talos huffed, glancing at Bee, who fell to his knees while still clutching his wound. "I yield. You have my blessings. Now take him, it looks like he'll keel over any time now."

 _"She never defied me when I tested the others... Take care of her, Bee..."_ Bovine ears twitched at the sound of crushed gravel. "Dear." His wife, Ceres, had a soft smile. "Sweetie-" Talos got hit a second time, a fierce headbutt straight to his crown, making him see stars. The Holstein wasn't amused by the auroch's acts, so she decided to give him a thorough lesson between four walls, dragging his limp body by the tail. "Mama will give your Papa a thorough lesson on meddling with your lives, so don't try to stop me." Their sons, who saw the scene, knew that trying to help him was useless and could result in them getting sore welts from paddlings. _"Otou-sama, you must face the consequences too."_ They briefly mourned for their father's well-being, as this petite female could be **brutal** if she wished so.

* * *

One of the many plans hatched by Danzō hinged on the creatures captured by his NE. But his preferred targets, the high-level monsters, were too far off his expendable troops' capacities. If he wished to capture those, he would have to send his jōnin, a risky move due to the fact that raising a child to such a level was a long process, so he had far more chūnin and genin to use as he wanted. The Shimura stood before one of the several rattling cages, analyzing the beings incarcerated. The youngest one, a bunny girl with dark hair and white ears, had the foulest look of all. _"If you think you can escape... you are wrong."_ Besides that, most of his resources were being drained to simply contain them, as they purposely damaged the installations.

"The only way out for you scum... is death." *K-rang-!* A lizardman snapped his jaws on his direction through the bar gaps, but it was futile as the human was far from his reach. A simple button press made a current of electricity course by the bodies of any monster in contact with metal. _"So you're building resistance..."_ The lizard didn't let go of the bars, glaring with undistilled hatred at the elder, as if daring him to do worse. A squeak from the hellion made the creatures cease their useless resistance. "It may take a long time, but I **will** break your minds and you shall serve me." *Bam-!* This time it was a catgirl that was hissing at him, coming close to clawing his clothes. "Resist as much you want, it will soon dawn on your primitive minds that it is of no use."

Once the human stepped away, the yōkai began taking count of the ones injured by the shocks. **{Those imbeciles don't know they captured raijū and thunderbirds.}** Every time they triggered the energy, it went mostly to feed those yōkais, building up their strength and increasing the odds of success. **{Stay strong, from what the humans let slip, my master will soon come.}** It would a two-way front, from the inside and outside. Danzō would regret forever the day he dared to mess with them, for the master was one that never forgot a slight. Orochimaru's plans would provide a cover for their escape through the chaos his servants would create within Konoha.

* * *

Ā analyzed the twin bluish streaks that now adorned his pecs, they glowed with a faint energy and would let out sparks if his temper rose past a certain point. These marks were the indicators of his new race when he used a mostly human appearance. _"They did warn me of this... But I was the one who chose to not use that amulet."_ Also, most of the Kumo ninja force had decided to ditch the bracelet, finding monsterization worth the gamble. He had become a raijū, a weasel that would run wild during electric storms. _"It's quite fitting for me, to tell the truth."_ Ā had actually hoped to turn into one, but every deal had its price, even one as good as the one he got. "Darling~!" His transition happened right during the heat cycle of a certain admirer of his.

"Raiden, I told you to wait at home." The stubborn female had managed to make the man before her fall to her charm, albeit accidentally, as her heat hormones had sent him into a rut and led to him claiming her in a heated lovemaking session, one that left a room of the Raikage building charred down to its bricks. "Aww... but we missed you so much!" She was already expecting his offspring, which usually made a man attempt to run away so as to not be bound. But he was an honorable man and took her as his wife, not wishing to leave bastards, besides that, her beauty helped to sweeten the deal. "Do you already know how many will come?" He sat down as she draped herself on his back, both enjoyed the skinship. "The bats sensed two."

Darui entered the room at this moment, making the couple stare at him. "Sorry, I just came to bring the reports you requested." The young man had seen them going at it a few times, yet he failed to remember to knock the door, considering it a pain to do. _"At least they weren't at it today."_ He exited the office quickly, leaving the pair alone. "You know..." Raiden drawled in a husky tone, sliding her fingers over the marks on her husband's chest, sending tiny bursts of electricity into them, stimulating his body. "I'm in the mood for some interesting things tonight~" Ā exhaled air like a bull about to ram on something. "Go home first, I'll get there once I finish these papers." She cheered and skipped to the door, humming a happy tone. "Don't make me wait too long, okay?"

* * *

A man was in a secluded clearing, sitting in lotus and with his eyes closed. The breeze brought the scents of the forest, holding a slight tinge of humidity. _"There might be rain in the next few days."_ The birds chirped nonstop, as they were in nesting season and searching for a pair. _"I should leave some traps, my food will run low soon."_ A brief sigh and his dark eyes opened. "Tch, this monkey keeps screeching lately." His red hair waved in the wind as he got up. Rōshi of Iwa looked at the horizon, wondering what sent the Yonbi into a frenzy. _"My mental defenses should have blocked him, but I keep hearing him, even if faintly."_ The sound of crunched dirt sent the man into alert. "Ya~re~ So my hubby is sealed within a geezer?" A blonde female with a long thin tail and a bō stood by the edge of the clearing. _"She's not human!"_

The Tsuchikage had sent him notice of the unnatural creatures popping all over the Elemental Nations, warning him to not fall for their honeyed words and temptations. "State your purpose, intruder!" She smirked and tilted her head as if he were a kid bragging to his mother. Spinning the staff with a flair, she pointed it at the man. "I am the greatest of sages, the one equal to Heaven, the beauteous Queen of Monkeys..." She then proudly pointed to herself, her confidence overflowing. "I am Sun Wukong!" *Crickets chirping~* Rōshi simply stared at the boisterous kakuen, making her get irritated. "At least react you bastard!" The man compared the names of the monkeys he now knew, added to her first statement. _"Does she intend to kill me and release the Bijū?"_ That outcome was one the man wished to prevent, so he lunged at Wukong, starting a match for his survival. "Quite the cocky brat, huh؟"

She parried the kunai on his hands, sending them flying into some trees and striking his wrists. "Kuh-!" Rōshi retreated and saw how she adopted a stance. "Ain'tcha going to spar with me?" This taunt showed how much she looked down on him, pissing him off. "Don't underestimate me!" He used the Yonbi's chakra to coat his body in lava, glaring at Wukong. "So you can use his powers." She smiled in glee, maybe this man would give her a better challenge than some petty bandits she dispatched not too long ago. "Let's have a good time!" Every time Rōshi went to attack, Wukong would use her bō to redirect his momentum, making him barrel towards trees and boulders and turning them into cinders with his armor of molten mineral. _"She's just playing with me!"_ Moreover, she was clearly unaffected by the lava, as regular enemies would have suffered severe burns by now. "We aren't done yet, brace yourself!"

* * *

 **The Sun Wukong I use can be seen by searching 'otosama' on Danbooru. And the next chapter will have a short time skip.  
**


	26. Chapter 24

Shino was in quite the awkward situation. With his father Shibi on his right and the Taki girl he met the other day on his left, he was trapped. "Come on, don't you recognize me?" The older Aburame was sizing up the foreigner, his kikai indicated something of interest in her person. "Shino, do you know this girl?" The poor boy was on overload from the double pressure and the memories of that event only worsened his stress, which was making his own kikai get stressed. In short, the boy was a lit bomb about to blow. Fū had received permission from the guard to enter at the cost of Kamaki's dignity, so the mantis was now sulking inside her back waist pouch. Right now she was attempting to get a rise from the stoic boy, as her Bijū had displayed interest in him.

When his tolerance ran out, Shino ran away from his compound, seeking one of his teammates for asylum. Fū stayed behind with Shibi, still looking at the hole in the wall. "Um, is he going to be fine?" The man nodded slightly. "My child is one that is usually rational, I trust that he is within the confines of the village so as to recover his bearings." He waved for her to follow him to his office. "What do you wanna ask?" Shibi sat down, gazing at her from behind sunglasses. "Your body exudes energy close to the level of the local jinchūriki." She jerked and leaped off her seat, ready to run, but he didn't move. "Calm down. I do not wish harm upon yourself." Her face showed her confusion at his words.

"I am merely curious at which of the beasts you harbor in your body, as my little allies keep telling me to protect you." Fū seemed to be listening to someone else, then she sat down again. "The beetle, number seven." Shibi hummed in musing, this explained the situation and the reaction of the kikai. "The one entrusted to Taki, how interesting." Menma had brought a strain that could process natural chakra for their host's use and this girl held the most powerful of any insect. A closer relationship with her village could prove beneficial to the Aburame, as his allies seemed to drink the chakra she leaked as if it were ambrosia. "By the way, are you not in the finals? You should be training, for the opponent you will face is part of a strong clan." She nodded and exited the premises, it wouldn't do for her village's image for her to lose due to sloppiness.

* * *

Menma had made Naruto start meditating so they could access the seal, Jiraiya held watch over the twins in case something went awry. _[The twins found themselves in a sewer._ "Wow, your mind must be really perverted to look like this." _Naruto sputtered in indignation and did his best to reimagine the place as a forest of sorts._ "Is this better?" _Menma ignored him and walked towards a crack on a cliffside._ "This is-" _The blond felt a rush of heat and saw wisps of red._ "Let's go, you must see this." _The redhead grabbed his twin and dragged him in. The roars were the first indication of the Bijū, followed by rumblings and the sounds of claws on metal. The Kyūbi was as big as the Hokage Monument, intimidating the blond with its rabid display of chewing the metal bars and snarling at the twins._ "Nii-san..." _Menma stood in front of the titanic fox and touched the fur, which made the being cease moving. Naruto watched as those crazed scarlet eyes regained sanity and took a golden color._ "I put some of my previous self in. I expect you to make responsible use of my powers." _]_

Kurama had accepted to work with his twin and control the red chakra usage by the blond, but Jiraiya still acted with doubts around Menma, which mattered little to the redhead. The only thing that was in his mind in the near future was whether the Konoha forces would trust the word of yōkai on the predicted invasion or let it go to waste. **"If they do ignore the warnings, then they are bigger fools than I expected. Hashirama would weep if his village fell to a traitor."** Until where they knew, Minato would do anything to keep his village safe, and to ignore the yōkai when he wished to have them as Hi no Kuni's citizens would be unwise. _"Where is Hinata?"_ The boy had started a search for his girlfriend, he had to catch up with her after this time apart.

He found her close to a training ground, watching her former apprentice interacting with the Inuzuka female. "So he got a girlfriend?" Hinata turned to face Menma. "I had to teach him about some details of life like my previous father did with you." He flinched at the bad memories, having behaved badly around her back then, as he didn't know how to manage the confusing emotions she brought to the surface. "I hope he manages it better than me, he's a good kid." He offered a hand to her. "Let's go on a date?" She smiled and grasped it, letting him lead her. "It has been a while." - Kerberos was glad to finally understand what Hana could offer to his life, so he gave a chance for both of them, hoping to get a happiness similar to his master. Once he had confessed his wish to the young adult, she had gifted him a bright smile.

"Let's start with introductions. I'm Inuzuka Hana." The hound nodded. "I'm Kerberos Styx." They then began a back-and-forth of questions to get to know each other, revealing likes and dislikes. "By the way, who's Hinata to you?" The man didn't expect this, but he had no reason to lie to her. "I was born among humans, not yōkai, and my appearance was aberrant. I was the first Cerberus to be born in quite a while." He then relayed how unscrupulous humans had attempted to mold him into a weapon against yōkai and even tried to create clones of him. "Hinata had gotten wind of their intentions and rescued me, taking me under her wing. She is my savior and master." He owed her his life and sanity, having taught him how to function in society. Later in life, he would find about his adoptive brother, Orthros, who had been in a situation similar to his.

* * *

The head of one of the greater Konoha clans was faced with the kunoichi brought by the tanuki. "Hyūga Hiashi... I have a message from my contractor... It's for your eyes only." He saw the small scroll on her palm and nodded, guiding her to his office. "Wait a moment." He checked around with his byakugan and activated the privacy seals, courtesy of his Namikaze friend. "Here." He carefully undid the wax seal and unrolled it, taking in the contents. /I have been informed by your wife of your elders. Due to the outdated beliefs upheld by them, your clan is forced to enforce a custom that Hamura would abhor. I wish to aid my dear friend, Hinata, so I shall lend the services of Kousaka to you. You may give her the order to eliminate the resistance, but I warn you that it has to be decided before the Chūnin Exam finals. Signed: Mamizou./

The parchment turned into smoke on his hands, leaving no trace of its existence. "Has she received your permission to do this?" The kunoichi nodded at the question. "My race is one trained for dirty services... It's an unpleasant job, but a necessary one... If you take the offer of my contractor... My blade shall be used at your behest." Hiashi frowned, but he had to think for the good of his clan for a long term. _"My daughter has chakra that can remove the jūin safely. My brother is now free thanks to her."_ Hizashi knew that it had been a risky gamble, but had laid his utmost trust on his niece, which was rewarded. For the time being, he still covered his forehead and had a fake matrix painted to fool anyone who saw him bare. Those bigoted elders had to go, they were like harmful weeds, taking space and preventing the growth of the clan, they might stir a revolt if they were to know of his plan to free the secondary house and join it with the main one.

"Very well, I will make use of your abilities." Hinata was the crucial piece, if one of those crones suspected she would put their rule over the Hyūga in jeopardy, they might call for her elimination through any means possible. "I, the scion of the Kousaka family... pledge service to Hyūga Hiashi." He sighed and pulled a folder containing information on the members of his clan, pulling files and stacking them on his desk, with her pulling some to examine. "Can I trust that nobody will suspect of my or your involvement in their deaths?" The female looked up from the papers. "I will work during the invasion... I was supplied with the weapons most used in Oto... If anyone analyzes the metal, the invaders will be blamed." Kousaka went back to memorizing the faces of her targets as Hiashi searched for every Hyūga elder's profile.

* * *

Kushina had done well on her self-promise of making her husband pay for his negligence. So she left the dojo room with a bloody body on tow, leaving a traumatizing scene for the Hyūga maids, as there was gore to clean even on the ceiling. As she walked on the street, many people stared at her in shock, as she had been dead for a little over a decade. But when she passed by one of the inns where the foreign ninjas were staying over to recover from injuries, she felt a presence that reminded her of Uzushio, making her stare at the windows, flabbergasted. "Can it be...?" She made a clone to take Minato to the hospital as she entered the building hastily, dodging the staff and other people.

It was there that ninjas from Kusa were lodged, though some of the booked rooms were now vacant thanks to the Ground 44. Kushina knew not of this fact nor did she care about it, simple-mindedly making her way to a specific room. - Karin was shrunk into a ball on her bed, fearing her return to her village. The only reason she stepped out was to be a healing source for a pair of promising genin, but now they were dead, mauled by a beast in the forest. Her mother had been used to treat far too many people through their shared kekkei genkai, dying from sheer exhaustion, and now it seemed to be her turn. _"Why did this happen to me...?"_ The door suddenly slammed open, startling the girl.

There was something about Uzumakis that set them apart from other clans. Their chakra was one that knew when one of the same blood was around, something that even young individuals could sense, but had to be instructed as to what it meant. Kushina was taught by Mito of this trait, but Karin wasn't, so the younger redhead was confused to feel a familiarity towards this stranger. "Who are you?" The woman moved her hands slowly in a calming manner, eyeing the kunai the girl held. "I am Uzumaki Kushina, we are from the same clan." Karin could see the similarities but was still dubious, this could be a trap until where she knew. "How do you know that name?" The history of the continent said that the members of Uzushio had been obliterated by an alliance, her mother had said that they might be the only survivors.

Kushina planned to have Karin taken in by Konoha, she wouldn't let go of the remains of her family. She eventually calmed down the girl, managing to lower her defenses and sit by her. "Are you happy in your village?" The girl shook her head, telling the woman of what happened to her mother. "Trust me, my husband is the Hokage. Konoha will bargain with Kusa to let you stay here." What was one girl compared to the favors a smaller village could demand in exchange? Even with her bloodline, Karin wasn't worth defying a village lead by the Kiiroi Senkō. The woman entertained asking the girl to be her adopted daughter, but that would have to wait, for Karin had received a large shock for one day.

* * *

Once Minato had recovered enough, Kushina dropped the bomb about Karin on him and demanded his best efforts at convincing Kusa to let her go, almost making him develop a case of stress ulcer. That set off negotiations that made him call Jiraiya's services for blackmail, all because the other village was asking too much to replace the girl, so Konoha had to flex its might to make Kusa back off from being too greedy. - Naruto was making leaps and bounds of progress under Jiraiya and Menma, having managed a decent control of the red chakra and receiving the Gama contract. The Sannin, through daily contact with the kitsune, let go of some of his past bias towards him, stopping his accusations that the redhead desired to lay waste on Konoha. - Danzō had picked up on the strange behavior adopted by the monsters he captured, as they stopped rioting constantly and seemed to be waiting for something. But it didn't matter, the roots he had cultivated were deep and would resist any ploy the creatures had in mind. And if push came to shove, he had his secret card ready to use under his bandages.

* * *

 **~Time skip~**

* * *

It was finally time for the Chūnin Exam finals, so most of the civilians and ninjas currently in Konoha had all gone to the great stadium to see the matches. Minato was at the Kage booth along with his fellow village leaders, as Kushina had decided to stay with her redhead son and potential Hyūga daughter in law. "I hope that you stay in Konoha has been pleasant so far." - Two animals were holed under the seats, a tanuki, and a Pomeranian. Warashi was getting pissed off at the constant whacks to the face by Kerberos' tail but held firm. _"When can we get out?"_ \- Rasa nodded his head and told of his pleasure at the treatment and the progress of his two children. Shibuki said nothing, he just smiled and watched the preparations. "By the way, isn't your son in the first match? I expect to see how well trained the son of a Hokage is."

* * *

 **Have any of my dear readers figured Orochimaru's disguise yet? By the way, try to guess what will happen on the Uchiha Retrieval.**

* * *

 **Sneak peek:  
**

This dragon was made of flowing water and stormclouds, with compressed lightning bolts as its horns. Its presence alone was awe-inspiring, yet those amethyst eyes held a gentleness beyond what a mere human would expect from such a tyrannical being. A single roar sounded like the rage of a typhoon, but the movements of its long sinuous body were like the mist carried by the wind, silent and fast. It turned its sights on an abominable white serpent, feeling the miasma flowing from the reptile poisoning its surroundings as it strangled a human in its grasp. The ophidian was an existence that had to be exterminated, so the dragon bared ivory fangs and lunged.


	27. Chapter 25 - Konoha Crush

**Lon~g chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

Naruto was taking steady breathes as he faced his opponent, Hyūga Neji. Menma had told him of the method to open tenketsu without pain, something that would prove **very** useful in this match. The brunet was arrogant and full of pride on his own clan, considering himself above most of his peers. The Jūken was a style that had to be evaded instead of blocked and he had to make use of his tools. Luckily, he was one who could afford to chip away at his opponent with clones. Through training, he learned how to make the bunshin survive longer against strikes. The proctor was about to give the signal to start the match, so the blond steeled his nerves and focused. "Ready... Go." Genma jumped off the way, but Naruto didn't give in to his usual gung-ho manner, keeping his distance. With a cross seal, twenty clones were sent towards the Hyūga, all bearing kunais on hand. "Hmph, it's insulting of you to think I would be overwhelmed by this mediocre display."

But Neji couldn't gloat for long, as the clones were ferocious on their attacks, managing to land a few cuts on his front and back while dodging his hands, noticing the sheen of Fūton on the blades. "I wasn't laying still all month long, I found good instructors and I will beat you!" The original was hidden among the clones, so Neji analyzed the cluster to see if he could find the right target. The Hyūga didn't lose his cool, evading the kunai slashes and hitting every opponent close enough. _"You wish for an attrition battle?"_ In time, the clones began decreasing in numbers as the Jūken forced them to dispel, leaving the one blond who kept avoiding direct contact. _"Found you."_ He advanced to the original, gearing up for a good attack. "Toppa!" He noticed his error in telegraphing his offense as a squall hit him on the chest and sent him back, towards a lone Naruto, who seemed to be preparing another jutsu. _"I won't let you!"_

The crowd was expectant, what would the prodigy do to turn the tables? He started by throwing shurikens to break concentration, buying time to land. "Hakkeshō, Sanjūni Shō!" Naruto received all the strikes and was blown off to the wall, groaning in pain due to the closed tenketsu and the impact. "Give up, I am more experienced. Even though you are the son of the Hokage, you cannot stand against a prodigy." The Namikaze hacked, struggling to get a proper breath, lifting himself off the ground. "Is that so? Who decided that? There's nothing written in stone that says that I must lose." He used the red chakra to eat the foreign blue, freeing his pathways. _"Thanks, Kurama."_ He got to his feet, wobbling slightly, surprising the Hyūga with his swift recovery. "So you are of those... You defy fate, but it's useless. My victory is clear, you only are prolonging your suffering." The brunet advanced and, once close enough, revealed his trump card.

"Hakkeshō, Kaiten!" The Hyūga on the stands were shocked at the fact that a servant had learned one of the secrets of the main house. "Gah-!" Now Naruto ended up in a crater, on the opposite side of the arena. "What a ridiculous display, Namikaze-san. Why do you continue to embarrass your father with this display?" The blond didn't answer, focusing on unblocking tenketsu again. "You should yield while you're still ahead, the Jūken might leave some unsavory damage to your body, and we wouldn't want the jewel of Konoha damaged, right?" The biting sarcasm angered the blond. "Go!" Neji was slow to react in his shock as a clone popped off the ground and struck him with an uppercut, having used the mole-like technique during the rush, with more clones revealing themselves to have been random debris, pummeling the prodigy during his stun, only for them to be quickly dispatched with Jūken again. Now both were hurt to similar degrees. "Why do you struggle against fate? It's useless!" Naruto chuckled and got up from the crater.

"Fate...? Why does that sound like bullcrap to me? ... What I'm hearing from your mouth, is the complaints of a baby who doesn't want to lift a finger to change his life." A glob of bloody saliva hit the ground. "And don't come to me and use the seal on your head as an excuse. I got a much worse one on me, since birth." Those who knew what Naruto meant became apprehensive. "You could be the most honorable protector of your family, but from what I've seen of you around Hinata-san, you threw even that out." Neji began growling. "Why do you hate her? She's one of the kindest people I know, and I can see how she makes an effort to please those she considers her precious people... even you." Naruto was now building up chakra to fire one last jutsu, as his opponent was weakened. "So, I'll beat you and make you eat your words." He didn't even have a name for this technique, as the concept was too raw and undeveloped. He just began cloaking his arm on Fūton and condensed it, sending some red chakra to his legs to boost speed and started rushing at Neji.

 _"I've lost blood, and his hits were too many to block... He was planning for this moment..."_ The Hyūga could only wait for the punch, which connected hard to his stomach, creating several cut wounds and embedding him in the wall. Genma went to check on the brunet and declared Naruto as the winner, sending his parents and newfound cousin, Karin, into cheers. As the blond stumbled, he fell on strong arms. "Nii-san?" Menma had a smirk only for him. "Congrats, brother. Let's go patch you up." - Now, with some plasters on his bruises, Naruto was sitting beside Menma in the stadium. "Thanks for catching me, falling on my face would be embarrassing." Then the boy began thinking of what his twin said, of the imminent invasion. _"Orochimaru did something to Sasuke, should I trust Kakashi-sensei's seal or tell to Ero-sennin?"_

* * *

 **Temari vs Shikamaru, same thing as anime/manga.  
**

* * *

Kankurō had descended to the arena, same with Dosu. He ran over the plan in his mind, the invasion would happen soon, and with this guy's indirect way to incapacitate foes, he would be unable to do his part. Genma ignored the troubled face, figuring it was caused by nerves. "Very well. Are you prepared?" The Suna nin raised his arm at the question. "I yield. I have seen his fight, and with our fighting styles, I can say that I would lose against him. So, I won't risk it." Dosu had a snarl hidden, but he couldn't be brash, yet the proctor was slightly troubled, as Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. "What a pity, I was looking forward to seeing Suna's puppetry, but fine. Dosu is the winner by default. Go back to your seats." What now? One of the Konoha's prodigies was going to be disqualified simply for being tardy. _"Kakashi..."_

Luckily for the Uchiha and Hatake, they arrived seconds before Minato was forced to declare the second round of the finals, which would be a blemish on their collective names, as snubbing such an important event was a truly bad idea. "Hmp, where is my opponent?" The teen was standing in the arena and searching the stands. "Here." Fū jumped and landed by Genma, having left Kamaki with Shino. "Ready to get a beating, bead eyes?" Sasuke frowned at the slight and got ready to fight. "Ready? Go!" The male darted towards the female with kunais on hands, using his clan taijutsu to land blows on her, but he didn't hear the sound of flesh being sliced. "What the-?" A kind of carapace was coating the exposed skin, protecting Fū from the blades. "Are you some kind of bug?" She didn't bite the bait, making her counter by launching wind blades, which he neutralized with Gōkakyū.

They began an attrition match where the Uchiha got the upper hand in speed and reaction time with his sharingan, but the kunoichi compensated with resilience and Chōmei's chitin armor. He would catch brief windows where her body was unprotected and land blows, but she returned them with heavier strikes, leading to a stalemate of sorts. Both saw how futile it was to stay at close quarters and decided to use elemental techniques to try and end it at once. She initiated a flurry of wind, sending it to her foe, but he used the sharingan to barely graze the invisible blades as he prepared for the jutsu given by Kakashi, not minding the dust being kicked up. The onlookers heard a distinct sound similar to chirping in the dust cloud as flashes could be sighted coming from within. The Taki girl noticed that this technique was a step above the usual and would manage to go past her armor.

Orochimaru saw his chance to use the seal planted on the jinchūriki, as the Raiton would disturb her nerves enough for him to hijack control. - The girl made a move to dodge the incoming strike, but the Uchiha predicted it and had already moved for the kill. Blood spurted from the new wound, getting charred by the energy that was cauterizing the injury. Her attempt at dodging made it so the Chidori hit her belly instead of the chest, but it was a severe wound, nonetheless, so he simply removed his hand, confident in his victory. Fū stumbled after Sasuke had stepped back, feeling a secondary piercing pain in her chest and a strange detachment from her own body as if she were caught in a genjutsu. _"Chōmei! There's something wrong!"_ But there was no response, cementing the realization that something was terribly wrong.

* * *

Feathers came down, trapping many ninjas and civilians in a genjutsu, while the girl began convulsing and a chakra shroud covered her. - "Naruto!" He got punched awake by Menma, who barked at him to help with evac. "But I want to help you!" He received a strange glare that was full of worry. "Can you turn into a giant creature?" It was then that the blond realized what the redhead was about to do. "Okay, stay alive, please?" The boy went to help his mother and cousin as his twin was going to face the rampaging jinchūriki. - Sasuke was shocked at the sight of his opponent, so he couldn't react when someone grabbed his shirt and threw him away into the stands. The Uchiha looked at the arena and saw the Uzumaki and Hyūga make clones, which became cloaked in similarly potent chakras and began growing in size.

Fū had forcibly turned into the Shichibi and was tasked with laying waste to the village by the impure seal. Menma and Hinata were riding on their gigantified clones to neutralize the threat. A fox and a dragon, these constructs struck fear into the hearts of those who gazed upon them, as they rivaled the titanic beetle rampaging. "Kurama/Hina, let's go!" Chōmei seemed to be struggling with herself once she saw her foes, as her movements were stiff and awkward. **"Ani.. ki... help..."** The fox had hurled the beetle away from Konoha's perimeter into the woods, lessening the chances of squishing innocents. Hina briefly checked the area to see if they needed to send the beetle further away. The couple was avoiding the talons of the insect and worked towards immobilizing it. **"She's about to use Bijūdama!"** Kurama made his own sphere and used it to deflect the attack, pulverizing a mountain instead of Konoha.

Ice and chains were used to keep the beetle's maw closed as the pair of titans pinned it down on its back. - Kushina was using her kekkei genkai to kill the Oto and Suna attackers, providing protection to her son and niece as they led the civilians away from the war zone. _"Menma, Hinata, stay safe."_ She had seen the pair lead the Bijū away to keep damage to a minimum, so she had to do her part as well. "I'll show you why Uzushio was feared!" The woman was tearing her enemies in chunks with her adamantine chains, striking fear on anyone who saw her visage, justifying her moniker of Akai Shi from the war. She wouldn't let the fall of her mother nation be repeated with Konoha, not when she had the power to keep it from happening. - Sasuke had been paralyzed as the carnage happened around him, flashing back to that horrible night, when Itachi- "Sochi, please, snap out of it!" He felt hands on his face and looked into eyes similar to his. "Kaa-san..."

* * *

The leaders of the three villages leaped on the rooftops until a vantage point, where they could see the invasion starting. The Hokage was livid, to think that an operation of this scale had started with little forewarning... "In the name of Konoha, I ask you to help repel the invaders." He turned to face his fellow leaders, only to see Shibuki's face peeling off, revealing the face of a traitor. Then four Oto ninjas surrounded the trio. Orochimaru dropped the skin, smirking at Minato as Rasa took the side of the Hebi Sannin. "Surprised, Minato-kun? I told you that I would crush Konoha." The blond was stunned, he had hoped the monsters had been lying about Suna's involvement. Before he could call for aid, a barrier rose around them, boxing the Namikaze in with his foes. _"Two against one..."_

His weapons could be turned useless by Rasa, and with a tag-team of strong opponents, even the Hokage could fall. Then Minato noticed the pair of weights on his back and under his haori. _"What the?"_ It was caused by Warashi and Kerberos, who grew to a human size and took positions by the blond. "Oh, we're outnumbered. So I shall turn it to our advantage." Three coffins rose from the ground, bearing kanjis for 'one' to 'three'. "Kuh-!" It happened too fast for the Namikaze to do anything to prevent it. "Yes, Minato-kun, I shall use your predecessors to eliminate the 'will of fire'. Can you be a match for immortal foes?" There was a rumbling as the Edo Tensei was completed, but only the 二 coffin opened, revealing Tobirama. "But I managed to summon the bodies..." Then the Sannin realized a fact. "The souls. Sensei is within the Shinigami, so the Shōdaime must have reincarnated." Well, it didn't matter now, as Tobirama was powerful and now there was an even match in the numbers.

Kerberos faced the Nidai Hokage, as his race was one with advantages against reanimated corpses. A kopis with a shadowy blade and robust metal gauntlets appeared in his hands, seemingly making the reanimation shudder in fear. "You can feel it, right? This weapon was crafted from the iron sand of the Sanzu and was quenched on its water." The eyes of the hellhound could see the thorny bindings around the corpse, the shackles created by a depraved technique. "I, the guard of the afterlife, will send you to your rightful place." His head became canine as two more sprouted, showing his Cerberus nature. Tobirama wordlessly readied his kunais and prepared to use his techniques by pulling water to the area. Kerberos began his advance towards the Senju, jumping over the water dragons and slicing those he couldn't avoid. Once he was close enough, the sounds of combat began ringing as the Nidai defended himself with kunai and the hound parried with his gauntlet. The hell-spawn didn't stay still, moving constantly to avert the water attacks created by his opponent.

The redhead summoned his golden sand and sent it to crush the man with brown hair, figuring him to be the weaker one, but Warashi countered the mist of gold with his own mix of metal dust. "How can you do that‽" He smirked at Rasa. "I am the descendant of Ichibi no Tanuki, his powers are my heritage." He let his animal traits pop out, thick brown rings surfaced around his eyes and he bared his fangs. His lineage began with the one child born from Shukaku and Mamizou millennia ago, right after Hagoromo's end. The Kazekage changed tactics by creating floating golden blades, which was mimicked by the tanuki, starting a series of clashing sounds as the metals collided and the men engaged in a physical fight. Both held katanas made of compressed grains, slice, dodge, counter, attack, they were in a deadly dance as the blades whirled around them. "I will slay you, monster, and your head will be a fitting trophy." Rasa had a few cuts oozing blood already, the same went for Warashi. "Is that so? I thought you would prefer a rug pelt."

Minato was clashing with the rogue Sannin, intent on setting straight the errors of his predecessor. With Rasa distracted, he could use his tri-kunai to set the Hiraishin's markers, one of his best techniques. Once the stage was set, the two powerhouses began their fight for the fate of Konoha. Orochimaru had brought out the Kusanagi, making the Hokage get even more cautious, as he knew the nature of the blade. Yellow flashes were popping around the rogue, but as he wasn't a pushover, he used his blade to parry the kunais and Rasengans, showing his merit as one of the Sannin. _"I must win fast, otherwise he might get a lucky strike."_ The poisoned blade only needed to nick the Namikaze's skin once. Minato managed to injure one arm of his foe with Rasengan, managing to lower Orochimaru's ability to strike back. But the snake just created distance between them and shed his skin, making himself uninjured again. "Kuh-!"

* * *

Jiraiya glanced towards the area where the purple barrier could be seen, cursing his inability to help his apprentice, only able to wish Minato luck, as he had to counter the snake summons with his own. "Ero-Sannin!" He saw the orange blur, Naruto, coming from the arena. "Yo, gaki. Are you going to help your godfather?" The boy smiled, there wasn't another answer. "Very well, see those snakes? We must use our contract to call for help." They went through the hand-signs, pulling enough chakra to summon the big guns so as to teach these reptiles to not mess with Konoha. Gamabunta and his fellow Gama warriors graced the battlefield, making the snakes focus on them. "So Orochimaru made his move... Jiraiya, thanks for letting me get a supply of snakeskin."

The Sannin had a brief shudder at the bloodthirsty tone of the boss summon, but it wasn't aimed at him. The amphibians pulled out their weapons and advanced upon the ophidians, slashing their scales, crushing their ribs, smashing their heads. Their teamwork enabled them to prevail over the snakes who only thought of themselves. "My, my... Manda must be slacking in training his new charges, they are little above ordinary snakes, only having their size to speak for them." The toads had seen jōnin aiming at the snakes and barked orders at them so they could coordinate their attacks to dispatch the enemy even faster. Thanks to the presence of the Gama Sennin and his youngest apprentice, the snake summons were unable to cause their share of damage.

* * *

Danzō had been holed in his secret headquarters, checking on Konoha with strategic cams and biding his time to be seen as its savior. But his instincts, sharpened by time and wars, warned of something about to happen. Before he could give even one order, there were several explosion in the area for containing monsters. There was an unholy cacophony of screeches and destruction as hell on earth was unleashed, both on the inside and from outside. More explosions on the surface had stripped the ground off the roof of the underground stronghold, revealing some troops of inhuman nature. Soldiers with the traits of hares and rabbits were making fast work of the drones, taking the yōkai they managed to find towards a safe location.

The Shimura had spotted a female who acted as the leader, bearing red and blue clothing and giving commands to the horde of lagomorphs. In a war, cutting the head of the troops helped to send the enemies into disarray and seize victory, so the elder ordered his NE to face the invaders and intruders as he faced his fellow commander. She held a large and unusual bow, as its shape was asymmetrical, downing the members of NE with ease and deadly accuracy, not even one arrow was wasted. Danzō was accompanied by his strongest NE and was now facing his enemy. "You will regret going against Konoha, our roots are strong and sturdy." She let out a mocking snort as one of the ex-prisoners landed by her side, the older bunny female with lavender hair. "Why am I winning this match then? Are you hoping to make me sloppy?"

His officers were incapacitated by the monsters who had been hiding in the trees as an arrow lodged itself on the elder's shoulder. "Insolent-!" Red eyes came into sight and he entered a state of madness until his brain shut down for self-preservation. "Tsk, tsk. So arrogant, only to fall like timber." By now the yōkai who had been imprisoned were now free, but there was something she wished to check. The woman ripped off the bandages on the Shimura, revealing the implants. "How interesting, I hope you won't mind if I take some specimens." Her rabbits brought medical supplies so she could extract what caught her eye. Her hunch indicated that the red eye on the head was much more important than its similes on the arm, so she took it and used one of the sacrificial sharingans to replace it.

Now she was in the possession of skin samples and a few sharingan eyes, including Shisui's. "Thanks for your patronage." What secrets were held in these items? That was what Yagokoro would find out. She raised her head, seeing the dragon and fox fighting with a beetle. _"I should leave a note for her."_ She notched a fletch and aimed for the gleaming antler, it was quite the noticeable place, after all. Once she let go of the string and the message was sent, she turned away and began her retreat. It wouldn't do if she got captured by the Konoha loyal forces, and some yōkai were in need of her healing services, it was a chance to see the effects of the herbs on this continent at work and get precious research data. _"Do you still have your memories?"_

* * *

The Hyūga elders didn't wish to dirty their hands with blood, so they had filed into a hideout that only the clan head knew of, besides themselves, expecting to wait out the invasion efforts and trusting that Konoha would stand strong. But it was a trap, a certain kunoichi had laid in waiting, like a tiger for its prey. The only door was now locked, cutting the only escape route. A gas mask was securely fastened on her face and a few oxygen canisters were brought as a guarantee. An odorless poison began filling the room, being inhaled by the elders unnoticed, that is, until they began feeling the harmful effects. "Urk-! Why do I have this ailment...!" Some began coughing blood and others were becoming weaker. "Someone left a trap...!"They began suspecting of the only one that was not present, Hiashi, but it was then that Kousaka showed herself, bearing Oto weapons, and proceeded to slaughter the targets.

It was like a wolf among corraled lambs, the poison took every chance they had of fighting back against an opponent on her physical prime and well-rested body. Her eyes were filled with the disdain of a predator as she gutted the elders who still resisted succumbing to the gas, not minding the fact that she was getting increasingly covered by red liquid. "You... The Hyūga will not-!" Once she slit the last throat and opened the last stomach, she searched for anything that could indicate her involvement. Hair, prints, scent, blood. Nothing could be left tying her to this event, she was raised with high standards. She undid the seal that blocked the door, exiting it and leaving a flammable compound in the room, one that would ignite with the incense stick.

Once she was out in the open, she had already changed into Konoha clothing and went to slay the invaders, as per the orders of her first contractor. 'Defend the homeland of my friend.' Oto and Suna ninjas fell, one after the other, their blood was like rain as the silent gale went past them. The single forewarning was the flash of green of the green flak jacket, in the next moment the ninja would grab at the stump where their limbs once were. Rescuing stray civilians who didn't get the order to go to the bunkers fast enough, she helped Konoha. She glimpsed white eyes and focused on the source. A Hyūga female was attempting to defend a child from some Oto people, who were intent on capturing 'samples' for their master.

Natsu was trying to make her charge go to a safe place as she blocked the path. "Please, escape, Hanabi-sama!" But once she turned back to her attackers, they were all dead around a masked woman. "Are you unharmed?" Those eyes revealed nothing even to the byakugan. "Yes. Thanks for rescuing us." Kousaka pointed a path. "Go... That zone was cleared of enemies." Natsu checked with her bloodline then nodded, grabbing Hanabi. "Can you teach me how you did that?" The kunoichi glanced at the child, who still held innocent eyes. "In the future... maybe." Kousaka leaped away and resumed searching for enemies and potential rescues.

* * *

The young couple jumped on the beetle, trying to find its jinchūriki. Kurama and Hina were in control of the constructs, with her briefly jerking her head as something struck the ice antlers, but it had to be dealt with later, there was an arthropod to keep under control. Keeping his grip on the underbelly of the beetle, Menma held Hinata as she searched for the cause of the chakra disturbance. "There's a seal on her! Don't move, I'll take it off." The Hyūga faced an unconscious Fū situated on the underside of the thorax, seeing the foul markings spreading under her skin, radiating from her sternum. Her hand glowed with chakra as she touched the evil seal, intent on eliminating it.

 _A girl with green hair had found herself running away from a serpent, knowing that it held terrible plans for her. Chōmei had attempted to protect her, but the poison of its fangs had managed to penetrate the exoskeleton, so she had used the time to gain distance. Fū knew that something had been wrong since she and Shibuki had met the leader of Oto, but to find out that he had managed to put this disgusting chakra on her as a means of control... The hiss of the reptile was getting closer, along with her inevitable doom. Then, a distinct roar rang from the distance, approaching quickly from the opposite direction, making even her chaser pause in shock. A shape up in the clouds was incoming fast, it was an ryū! The girl felt peace at the sight, somehow knowing that it came to rescue her, but her distraction had resulted in her ending in the serpent's stranglehold._

Hinata cursed under her breath, this seal seemed to have a mind of its own, fighting against her interference while using the girl as a hostage. "I won't let you succeed!" _[The dragon snarled at the serpent, not wishing to hurt the girl. It began taunting the reptile, attempting to poke at its pride and make it shed the act of cowardice.] "This plan must work!"[The serpent was getting pissed so it threw the hostage aside and coiled around the dragon, intent on poisoning the enemy. The ryū held the jowls with venomous canines at bay, preparing an attack to finish with it at once. An energy rumbled within the throat of the dragon, making the neck glow from within, making the serpent realize its grave mistake. Lightning threatened to escape from the large maw, striking fear into the ophidian. **"It's over."** The concentrated energy was discharged as the dragon bit the head of the serpent, searing its innards with electricity.] _The couple watched as the seal markings waned, indicating the end of its hold on the girl.

Chōmei stopped resisting entirely and began dissolving into nothing, the same went for Kurama and Hina, as Menma and Hinata landed on the ground while carrying a still unconscious Fū. Once the head of the dragon was mostly gone, an arrow clattered by the ninjas. "That is-!" She could recognize the particular decoring on the fletch, with the distinctive point, red and blue stripes as cresting, and the golden feather vanes. "She was close by... And Warashi said there were kidnappings..." There was only one suspect with the tools to cause these events, Danzō. "He must have taken one of her servants, she never lets it go unpunished." Menma was now with the Taki kunoichi on his back. "There's still invaders, you should help with it, I'll take her to a safe place."

* * *

Due to the warnings from the yōkai, Konoha wasn't caught by surprise, managing to fight back against the two invading villages and capture many hostages for information. After a few hours, the conflict was dying down, but the Hokage was still trapped in the purple barrier, and the ones who kept it up were being protected from both the ones inside and outside. - Kerberos had managed to slash most of the bindings on Tobirama, one last attack and the corpse would meet the shinigami, he had sustained injuries from some attacks he failed to dodge, but his recovery factor was at work, keeping him well enough to match the Nidaime. - Warashi was sturdier than the Kazekage thanks to his race, managing to break Rasa's left arm and decrease the mobility of his legs, so the Kazekage kept himself in the fight by using his gold dust as crutches and force movement. "You will break something if you keep this." The redhead only had an unholy glare and kept fighting.

The pair of yōkai had managed to beat their foes, as the dog stood by a corpse covered by ashes and Warashi tied up the knocked-out Kazekage. "Kero, go help him." The hound saw that Minato didn't see the Kusanagi about to pierce his back, so he let the blade bury itself in his left forearm, which he promptly cut off at the shoulder to keep the poison away, having seen the shadow of death on the sword. "How‽ The Edo Tensei was to be unbeatable!" Orochimaru was now at a disadvantage, entering into mental turmoil. Kerberos had lopped off the arms of the Hebi Sennin, using the momentary distraction, making him attempt to recover himself by shedding skin again, but his limbs didn't reform. "What did you do to me‽" The hound smirked. "This was a wound on your soul, so your body reflects its state." Orochimaru knew when to retreat, so he ordered his subordinates to undo the barrier.

Because of a certain area that got ravaged by explosions, there weren't ninjas around to apprehend the Oto ninjas, so they managed to make a getaway. Minato turned to his helper, not knowing how to thank him for saving his life. "Keep it for later, it wasn't your time yet..." The red eyes glazed over, was the Earth tilting? *Thud-!* The dog fell like a log on his face, out like a light. "Hey, wake up!" Minato began shaking his shoulders, only to be whacked on the head by Warashi. "Let him rest, the idiot won't die yet, he's just in his recovery state." At the Namikaze's quizzical face the tanuki raised the amputated arm of the silverhead, as Orochimaru took the Kusanagi with him. "His body will need to be pumped full of nutrients so he can regrow the arm." Then the brunet wiped the blood on his face, checking himself. "My clothes will be expensive to fix... I better buy a new set." He picked up the dead weight and went to the hospital. "You go take care of your village or whatever."

* * *

 **Sorry for long chapter, I wanted to get the Konoha Crush out in one hit. Also, excuse me if this is a big mess to sort out. I can only hope my muse won't demand something like this again.  
**


	28. Chapter 26

**Fuckin' finally someone decided to put up a review! Thanks for your opinion, thor94. But the bit about getting Kurama's respect... well... He and Menma are one and the same, so if Menma wants to help his brother, why would Kurama be opposed? And Naruto did get sabotaged, for reasons stated in this chapter.**

* * *

Minato was feeling an ulcer creeping on him, as the village had to get repairs, prisoners had to be interrogated, trade deals had to be made... He was stressed, his jōnin and ANBU had captured people with the same tongue tattoos as the ones smoked out by Menma during that meeting. This mess was lasting a few weeks since the invasion and didn't seem to be ending anytime soon. His brain had something biting at it, a link between facts that he should have made, but for some reason, he couldn't. Then there were the registers of yōkai who picked the unused areas cleared for occupation by the Daimyō, so he'd have to send ninjas to meet them and set up a collab & non-aggression pact with the finer details. _"Would I be in this situation if the Rikudō Sennin had taken a different approach back then?"_

And there was a certain wyrm, that had beaten the shit out some of the better ninjas a while ago, now it was living way too close to Konoha! _"Please, Kami-sama, don't make this come back to bite me..."_ To make things worse, the behemoth was subordinate to someone, making the Hokage try to think of someone powerful enough to make the creature submit. _"As long we don't antagonize them, it should be fine, right?"_ Then Minato thought of the man who sacrificed his own wellbeing to save him from a deadly strike. _"Now I owe my life to him..."_ Kerberos was still out of commission, with tubes stuck to him to keep him alive. His arm was still a stub, but it had already grown back a little, coming from a bit of shoulder at the start, then down to mid bicep in a few days. Thanks to his physical structure and vast life force, the Cerberus was making a steady recovery and was already awake, with Hana making almost daily visits to him whenever she could unless she was forced to be away on a mission.

 _"But Orochimaru did something unforgivable..."_ Taki had been crushed, Konoha's scouts had gone to the general area of the village, only to see a destroyed landscape with ransacked buildings and dead people. Fū, the jinchūriki of the Nanabi, was now without a place to return to. _"The Aburames showed interest on her, wishing to be able to welcome her in."_ It might cause an uproar from the other major villages, but maybe Konoha could claim that it was compensation for the failed invasion, as the giant bug was technically a confiscated weapon, even though if he said this aloud his fox son would give him a slap. The fall of Taki showed how ruthless the Hebi Sennin was, so Konoha would stay on guard towards Oto and its country. And Suna was crippled, lacking its jinchūriki, the Kage was outed as an instigator of invasion during peace times, with several ninjas dead and many still being questioned. _"This might be the sound of the avalanche before it hits."_

* * *

Naruto had felt somewhat impotent during the attempted invasion, not being able to help as much he wanted. Sure, he had managed to kill some of the lower ranked Oto ninjas, but his more significant act was to summon the toads along with Jiraiya, he had just called for help. _"I need to be strong..."_ For some reason, the three men who should have given him the most help in building up strength had treated him like porcelain. Minato said that he didn't train him so hard so that he wouldn't get hurt, Kakashi had said he wasn't physically ready yet and had to train his body more, and Jiraiya justified not teaching much by pointing how he didn't have the necessary knowledge to use the high-powered techniques without self-harm. Once he had told his mother and brother of this, they had asked of 'when' this treatment started.

The Namikaze pulled at the memories of years ago. "Um... I don't know if this helps, but I remember seeing them enter a room with that mummy geezer... I think he had threatened me, so they tried to intimidate him." Kushina scowled at this, Danzō must of have used some sort of mental manipulation to plant a suggestion, 'don't let the jinchūriki receive enough training'. "So... we can't rely on those dead-weights to aid you..." Menma was irked at the idea of a dangerous man in the possession of such a strong tool to plant thoughts that would benefit him. "Danzō might have hoped to make you frustrated enough to accept any training." The fact that the bombed hideout existed was enough proof, but the Warhawk had disassociated himself from the incident, having been found at a different area with a bloody hole on his shoulder, claiming that he had in fact dissolved NE yet some officers had taken upon themselves to keep it running.

The kitsune had an idea. "Kaa-san, you are a jōnin, right?" At her nod, he grinned. "What are you planning?" Menma revealed his intent to go to Uzushio to recover any remnants of their past. "We could make a small team with you as the leader, then we'd train Naruto on the go." Kushina caught the hint and smiled. "I'll ask for permission, we must act fast, while that man is still in the hospital." The blond was happy with this opportunity, he would do his best to not squander this chance they were giving him. "But we'd need a full team..." Menma was frowning, who could come along? "What about Karin? I was thinking of teaching her about Uzumakis as well." Kushina had a look that wouldn't accept 'no' from her son, no matter if he attempted to argue. "Fine, she got as much right to be there as us." - Karin heard from Kushina later on the day of how they were to go to Uzushio, having not expected it. She was wondering what they would find there, but the odds weren't favorable if you took into account the fact the island was the scene of a small war.

* * *

Warashi had moved to Kurenai's place at her request and was currently trying to relax when the doorbell rang. _"Who?"_ He cursed mentally at the sight of Menma and Kushina through the peephole, they must have come with requests. "Are you home, duster-butt?" He gritted his teeth at the slight and opened the apartment for them. "Says the one who bathes in red paint, I can smell the stink from here." The woman watched as the two males slung insults at each other, feeling the urge to smack both. "Focus, you two. We have a business." They clicked their tongues and went to the table. "So, what brought you to me?" The tanuki was already expecting something to do with information bits only he could provide. "Do you have a map with yōkai already settled in Hi no Kuni?" The brunet nodded, stating the price to get a copy. "You damn bunch of penny-pinchers..."

Mother and son got info on the kind of people they might meet on their chosen route, with her getting instructed on how to deal diplomatically with them as well. "This vampire family is one of the more... friendly towards humans. As in, they won't try to murder you on sight." This gave her pause, what kind of environment was the yōkai continent? "By the way, there is a group of Oni settled temporarily around here... - Warashi circled a mountain range by the vicinity of Tanzaku with his finger. - They might give your group experience with brawler types." Kushina told Warashi of how hard it was to get to Uzushio due to whirlpools. "Hm... But and if you could have an air route?" She shook her head. "We knew of flying summons, so there are seals using electricity to counter them." These seals were well protected and were recharged by the lightning storms that usually came from Kaminari. The only truly 'safe' route was by water, but the sailors who knew exactly how to weave past the obstacles had been killed in the battle that fell Uzushio.

"So you need people who know how to maneuver a ship..." Warashi went through seafarer groups that he could contact. "If my info is still up to date, there's a ship manned by people from the yōkai lands that do business with my guild, they might arrive at this spot within a month or so." The tanuki pointed at a port village that was the closest to the former Uzushio island, Kamakura. "I'll send messages by the tengu's familiars, but I can't guarantee that everything will go smoothly." During a break in the chat, Menma threw a wad of cash on the table, making the woman curious and the man smile. "So you decided to make it official? Here." Two wristbands with glassy crystals were put before the younger redhead. "What are those?" Warashi told Kushina of the meaning of chakra crystals, making her squeal in joy and pull her son in a bear hug. "I'm sure that you and Hina-chan will give me beautiful grandkids!" The tanuki held back a laugh as the boy acted like a cat, trying to escape the hold.

* * *

In the following day, as his relatives bought supplies, Naruto had gone to his team to warn them of his prolonged absence, which wasn't well accepted, to say the least. "Cha! Are you insinuating we're holding you back‽" - Menma was close by, having predicted the pinkette's unjustified rage. - "Of course not! Sakura-chan! I think our team is kickass, but I need the training-" The Haruno had a scowl, one that made the blond sweat, but his jōnin instructor and Uchiha teammate were uncaring. "Why can't you train here, with us‽" She was deaf to his attempts to explain the situation, gearing up for a punch. "Shannaro!" Naruto closed his eyes and braced for the hit, that didn't come. "You whiny bitch... Who gave you the right to hit my brother...?" A hand was wrapped firmly around a thin wrist. *Crick-!* A pressure was being applied gradually, making the bones shift slightly. "A-ah! It hurts-!" The redhead had a snarl, one that made the people around him recall what he did during the invasion.

Minato had announced a while ago that the yōkai would settle in Hi no Kuni, explaining that the men who fought with him for Konoha were sent to test the waters, and if anyone acted physical or verbally against them or a certain couple, there would be serious consequences. This made the population feel reservation around Menma, Hinata, Kerberos, and Warashi, but it was better than having the humans try to shun them and hurl insults. - Sakura had heard rumors about the redhead but didn't care much about the matter until now, when the male looked at her like a tigress to the vermin attempting to hurt its cub. "My brother isn't a sandbag, so if you try to punch him again..." The low growl made the Haruno shudder in terror, were his pupils becoming slits? Then he let go, enabling her to clutch her pained arm protectively to her chest. Menma grabbed his twin, a serious glare piercing the blond. "I see that I must teach you how to value yourself."

One dragged the other by the shirt scruff, away from Team 7. Kakashi sighed, pocketing his book and going to check on Sakura who was still trembling. "You were warned by him this time. So if I were you, I'd be careful around Naruto in the future." She looked up to the adult. "I'll tell the Hokage, that mons-!" The Hatake covered her mouth. "Menma is still Sensei's son and he didn't visibly injure you, even though you intended harm upon his brother." - Menma had a serious expression, making Naruto feel discomfort. "Why do you let her punch you?" Naruto attempted to justify it but the redhead didn't want to hear. "Do you remember how you said you would be Hokage? One of the things you need for the position is self-respect, one that won't accept other people trying to step on you." If a leader couldn't assert dominance in face of bullying, even a casual one, their image would plummet. "I just hope, for your sake, that this trip will help correct that part of you."

* * *

The Uzumaki's departure had been delayed a few more days, as the tanuki was waiting the reply to the letters sent to the ones who could be found on the chosen route, this way they wouldn't be treated as trespassers, as Menma intended to acclimate his brother to them so he wouldn't pull the same idiocy as in Nami, as Kerberos had told the redhead twin of the blond's actions. But most would have to be put off for the return trip, as they had to get to the port village before the ship. Warashi informed Menma that he would know which ship to take once he saw the vessel. _"Couldn't you give at least a hint?"_ Well, no use in badgering that stone-head, so Menma had gone to spend the last few days with Hinata, making the exchange of wristbands. Her crystal was shaped like a deer antler, with a deep purple hue and blue magatama shapes spread into the material. His crystal was shaped like a fox forepaw, with a rich red coloring and 狐 etched in gold on the largest paw pad.

Minato had been hesitant in letting the tiny clan depart to this mission, even more, when it involved his jinchūriki son, so many things could go wrong in the process. But Kushina was persuasive and managed to convince the Namikaze to let them go. The group stocked up on supplies and traced training plans. - When the crow finally returned, the Uzumakis had an idea of where they would be welcomed. It would be difficult for Menma to be apart from Hinata for so long, but after the last time, a few months weren't much in comparison. He examined the lilac crystal, knowing that this was one of the many bonds shared with his other half. _"Stay safe."_ The group of four exited through the gates, seemingly luggage-less thanks to Kushina's scrolls, that had larger capacities than the standard. "Just a heads-up before we meet any of the yōkai. I know about their socially accepted behavior, so if I tell you to do something, listen to me."

Once far enough from everything, Menma turned into a horse-sized fox and made two clones. **"Hop on, we must get to Kamakura fast if we want a safe way to Uzushio."** Having thought of this, the kitsune had given his mother a few special saddles with straps similar to dog harnesses. "Are you sure?" Menma looked at Kushina as if daring her to keep questioning him. **"Would you rather walk? I won't tolerate you pulling on my fur. I'm not an Inuzuka ninken to accept bareback."** She sighed and the Uzumakis moved to help the foxes put on the saddles and an extra collar for a place to hold on with hands. - **"Are you all set?"** At the affirmative, the trio of foxes bolted, jerking their riders with the sudden speed. **"Hold on tight! Full speed ahead!"** The other Uzumakis were doing their damned best to not slip off, even using chakra to stick themselves to the saddle and 'reins'.

* * *

A small vessel cut through the waters as its crew kept moving on the deck, tying ropes, moving crates, adjusting the sails. All while a woman with silver hair and a scar under her left eye grasped the helm, after hearing the news from her right-hand she smirked and took off the briar pipe from her mouth. **{Our next stop is Kamakura! Expected arrival time, two weeks!}** The crew hollered in response, having received a request from the Danzaburō guild, one that would bring nifty benefits if completed. **{Let's show them why our group is the best at the sea!}** It wasn't the usual delivery of sensitive material nor vanquishing of dangerous marine creatures, but underperforming was a no-go. **{Whirlpools, eh? Let's see if it's a worthy challenge! We have sailed past clusters of Charybdis nests, so how bad can this job be?}** Then the crow nest lookout gave a notice. **{Sharks at nine o'clock!}** Everybody got hungry smiles and many jumped off the deck to give chase to the herd, walking over the water surface as if it were ground, in the same moment the newfound preys began fleeing from the predatory presence. **{We'll have fin soup and steak tonight!}** But it was a futile effort, the ship's crew went after the slower sharks and harpooned them, getting the meat and oil fill of today.

* * *

 **I hope that it's not written in a confusing way for you guys. In the next few chapters, the Uzumakis shall train and meet interesting people, then we'll see a stupid boy run away to the arms of a creep. I'm going to use characters of a certain Japanese game for the crew, can you figure the source?  
**


	29. Chapter 27

Hiashi looked at his people of the main branch, who had been in disarray since the discovery of the deceased elders. He would have to make a display that would hold them back from attempting to defy his authority and make them fear to raise a hand against Hinata. It was almost time, some people of the subordinate branch had been summoned to the largest room in the compound, where a number of the main was at currently. "Hiashi-sama, what will you do about the council of elders?" Some of the older people wished to integrate the select group, indubitably to seize the power the position granted. "Calm down, it will be dealt with soon." The door opened, letting the subordinates enter the room, receiving disdainful looks from the older mains. "Hinata." She came to her father, bowing her head respectfully. "Chichi-ue." Hiashi gestured for a child with a headband to come as well, pulling off the cloth once the boy was close enough.

The child had fearful eyes, but Hiashi offered a faint smile. The crowd began to murmur, wondering what was about to happen. "Do it, Hinata." Her hand glowed, making the boy flinch in terror, but a strong hand kept him from moving. She touched the jūin and the child screamed briefly, but it was a reflex reaction, there was no pain to be felt. The spectators gasped in shock, realizing what Hinata did. "How did she remove it‽" "It was supposed to be indelible save for death!" A small mirror was given to the boy, who cried at the sight of a bare forehead. The more narrow-minded of the main branch made the handsign to activate the seal, not wishing to let Hiashi free more of those they considered unworthy, but nobody fell in pain. "How can this be‽" Headbands were taken off and fake seals were erased, revealing that the pair had already freed almost everybody, the few that still held that abominable mark stayed in a safe location so they wouldn't be targeted by bigots.

"This mark was one that dragged the Hyūga down." Now, one couldn't tell the difference between those of the main and secondary family, the seal was the only identifier. "Over half of our clan is from the Bouke, yet..." Hiashi shook his head. "We of the Souke cut their wings so they wouldn't oppose us, but we crippled ourselves as well." Hinata was comforting the boy, who didn't stop thanking her. "The Souke Jūin is officially banned, I myself destroyed the blueprints and instructive scrolls." The ones who held the knowledge to apply that barbarity were the deceased elders and the chief, and he wouldn't bring it back, it would die with him. "You may defend yourselves." The ones of the main house began protesting, slinging insults at the once servants and attempting to attack them, only to be struck down. Many proud faces hit the tatami, making their owners taste a bit of the humiliation they liked to inflict on others.

* * *

Three dust streaks were tracing a route towards Kamakura, Menma was at full tilt and made his relatives hold on for dear life. **"First stop!"** The trio of foxes skidded to a halt in a clearing, making their riders get catapulted at trees, save for one. "Don't repeat this, Menma-kun!" Kushina whacked the one she was riding, getting an indignant yelp. Naruto and Karin stumbled to their feet, rubbing their sore spots. The woman had stepped down and was scolding her son for this stunt. It was a bit funny for the blond to see his serious brother be treated like a disobedient kid. Now Menma was back to being a human, with a bump on his head. "Okay, I get it. I won't do it again. Can we set up camp now?" The girls set up the tents while Naruto gathered lumber with his clones, Menma had gone hunting, being the one best suited for the role.

It was almost dusk and the male redhead didn't return yet. "Where's Menma? He should have returned by now!" Kushina was about to set after him when the devil came from the thicket, dragging a deer. "Sorry for the delay, this bugger almost kicked my teeth off." The carcass had quite the chunk bitten off the neck and his mouth had dried blood, but the group voted for not asking for details. The meat gave out a nice scent as the small family surrounded the fire. "So, Menma-chan, can you tell us something about yōkai?" The woman was curious, Warashi didn't give much info to her. "I don't know who we'll find in the crew. But the Oni value honesty and strength, you can even get their respect by managing to outdrink one of them. The vampires are more aristocratic, valuing respect fitting for nobility and cordial behavior." Menma took a bite of the meat cut for him. "Too bad that we can't meet the beastpeople or seafolk on this trip."

Only three encounters could be crammed in the two months they were given, and close to four weeks would be wasted while on the road. "Just one thing... the vampires might demand blood in exchange for hospitality." At the shocked faces, he saw fit to explain. "Vampires can eat regular food and sustain themselves on meat, but blood is like wine to some. And with all of us being part of an almost extinct bloodline, we might have an exotic taste for them." Menma was thoughtful now that the subject was brought up. _"I wonder how they are related to that idiot, Dracula."_ Once a cocky rookie, that man had attempted to drink Bijū blood, only to get beaten up by all of them. More questions were thrown at him about the nature of yōkai in general, with him answering the ones he knew for sure, as things might have changed in these centuries of separation, not wanting to give wrong information. Then it was time to sleep, they had quite a lot of ground to cover in the next few days.

* * *

Kushina looked at the many ships, inquiring herself of which one would take them to Uzushio. From what she could recall, none of these vessels were swift enough to brave the whirlpools clusters around the island. Menma went straight for the one that was small compared to the merchant's vessels. The triangular sails were peculiar, compared to the square sails that were prevalent, but what caught his attention was the writing on the front, in a language illegible for this continent's inhabitants. _"Sea fangs, eh?"_ He clambered up one of the anchor chains and stepped on the deck. **{Where's the captain?}** A female in a long coat and with silver hair approached him. **{Are you one of the landlubbers to be babied?}** Menma chuckled at the teasing tone. **{I am with a delicate group, but I hope you can toughen them up.}** She barked a laugh, enjoying how this boy didn't take offense and offered a handshake. **{Call me** **Gangut.}** He took it and they shared a smile. **{Kurama. When can you set sail?}** She looked up and shouted fast questions, receiving shouts back. **{Right now, just bring the cargo.}**

 **=^.^=**

The Uzumakis all toured the ship, as even Kushina didn't have the chance to explore one closely. They explored the cabins and even went to the cargo hold. "What do ya'll think? This bad boy is a veteran of the seas!" Gangut was proud of the ship she captained. "Didn't you almost capsize it by ramming it on corals when we were hunting dolphins?" The captain grabbed the busty blonde who butted in, her face twisted into a snarl. "Iowa, keep at it and I'll drop you on a deserted island with a rusty spoon!" The taller female looked down at the silverhead with a smirk. "Feh... Did you forget who funds you?" Thankfully it didn't escalate. - The ship was sailing smoothly and the team was helping with the chores, but for some reason that Naruto couldn't fathom, he was being saddled with the more bodily demanding jobs.

Removing barnacles, moving cargo, helping with sea critters gutting (he felt bad for the orca), and so on. Menma had given the idea to Gangut to drive the blond to the ground with the intent of training him even if indirectly, as his stamina increased, he could hold his breath longer, and got more skilled with his throws thanks to the harpoon fishing. The crew was helpful with his questions, teaching Naruto how to do the duties assigned to him efficiently. He got to know about their backgrounds and even met the mascot toddlers. "Akatsuki, Hibiki, don't try swinging on the ropes!" The children had unknown fathers, but the ship was their home and the crew their family. The tiny pair came to see the whiskered blond as their big brother, pestering him so he would play with them during his breaks.

 **=^.^=**

"How I got this scar?" Naruto had his focus on the woman, not wanting to lose a detail. "It happened during a land hunt, look at this." Gangut pulled out a photo from her coat pocket. "Wow! This thing is huge!" It was a Deviljho, it seemed to rival some of the toad summonses in size, but it wasn't as humongous as Gamabunta. Naruto couldn't even imagine how hard it was to bring it down. "I was about to land my last strike when-" Iowa chose this moment to cut in. "Stop lying, it did happen against that thing, but you tripped and cut yourself on a rock." Gangut grabbed her by the shirt, with a vein throbbing on her neck. "You bitch! How dare you‽" A shouting match began between the females, with the crew stopping to spectate. "Fight! Fight!" It kept on until one of the muscleheads returned from the anchor-hoist. "Are you talking about the Picklesaurus?" The people in the earshot all sputtered and devolved into a giggling mess at the nickname for the fearsome beast.

 **=^.^=**

Soon a zone with roiling waters and stormy clouds came into sight. "We're getting to Uzushio, landlubbers!" A little water and some winds wouldn't break their fangs. "These whirlpools are huge!" Karin was shocked at the sea phenomenon. Gangut didn't mind the storm hitting her face and gripped the helm, her crew knew the Charybdis drill and were ready to overcome this obstacle course. **{Five o'clock!}** She followed the lookout's directions, trusting her words blindly as her girls handled the sails. **{Oooh! Don't you dare fall into the sea!}** The ship shook and jerked with the currents, making some of its occupants queasy with the roughness. **{Twelve o'clock!}** Menma and Kushina aided as they could, using their chakra chains to provide fast movements and handle the ropes. Naruto was in one of the quarters, holding the hurl-bucket closely, watching the churning waters and hellish weather through the tiny porthole and hearing the barks of the captain mixed with the howling winds and roaring waves. Akatsuki and Hibiki were huddled close to him, hiding their faces under the covers.

* * *

"Landfall~" The announcement of the crow nest made those weary from the water trial thank the heavens for this mercy. The anchors were dropped, the sails tucked away, and the boats laid on the water. "Let's try to find wildlife!" The trip to solid ground was brief and without issues. "What a pity that this nice patch of land got struck by invaders." Gangut had heard about the Uzumaki's circumstances from Kushina and empathized with the group. "I hope that this land flourishes again." The boats hit the sandy bottom, so they were dragged close to the treeline and tied up so the tide wouldn't take them away. Some of the crew, along with Naruto, dropped to the sand and laid face-down on it, thanking the heavens for being alive. "That was quite the workout~" Gangut and the veterans were all laughing merrily as if they had gone to a stroll and not through hell on water.

The first ones to step on Uzushio since the war explored the area to find the lost settlement. "I found it!" In a demonstration of respect, nobody from the ship intruded the village until the family did, keeping a distance from the crumbled walls. "We'll wait until you all come to grips with this place." Gangut held her cap to her chest, bowing her head briefly. "Thank you..." Kushina retributed the bow, the sight of desolation was opening old wounds. "Okay, all hands, let's find hunting spots!" The eccentric crew entered the forest, leaving the team alone. The Uzumakis looked at the torī signaling the entrance to the village, that was still standing strong even after the tragedy that struck this island. "Let's go." It was painful to see the corpses and rubbles, even more so for Kushina as she had personally known some of the deceased. "We will give them all a burial later, don't worry."

* * *

The moon hung over Konoha, revealing the clouds in the distance. Hinata was happy, as her clan was finally free from the stigma created by the seal, albeit not without strain between the houses due to bigotry. She felt a little down for not being able to share this conquest with her boyfriend, but it could wait. She then looked around in her bedroom, her eyes falling on the arrow. _"I should try to contact her, but not today."_ She prayed that nothing foul would befall Menma and his family. Kerberos had awoken a few days ago, demanding meat of any kind, which made the Hyūga remember of when he was a pup under her care. _"Some things never change."_ **"Yeah, I wonder how is the situation back home."**

Then she thought about the new addition to the Aburames. _"Chōmei seemed more subdued, maybe she still blames herself for what she did during the invasion."_ Fū had gone to Hinata at her Bijū's request, creating a bond between them. **"That's a given, considering how she fears being considered something to be discarded."** Kamaki had spoken with the Hyūga in secret, asking her to keep his identity as the Nanabi's partner secret, for now, taking a vote of silence. **{I let that man use her and the jinchūriki when I could have done something...}** The mantis blamed himself as well, but the conditions made it risky for 'Kamaki' to reveal himself as a yōkai, as a large enough group of people could overwhelm him. _"Those two are so alike, self-punishing over things out of their control..."_ The door creaked open, revealing Hanabi. "Can I sleep with you?" Both sisters went to the bed. "Do you want a bedtime story?" The younger one was almost bouncing with excitement, Hina was a source of fresh stories. "Yes!"


	30. Chapter 28

The Uzumakis had parted once they were in, going towards the library, shrine, and the clan compound, as these places were the most likely to still hold something they could take, be it artifacts or scrolls. The rest had either been stripped bare or ruined by the invaders' greed and selfishness. Kushina didn't bother hiding her tears as she walked through the ruined streets, going towards her old home. She had the faint hope that some heirlooms were left behind and untouched, hidden by seals. The skeletons kept haunting her with their visage, forcing her to remember people of the past. But she soldiered on, this was the past's aftermath, there was nothing she could do for them.

She traversed the burnt remains of her childhood, going towards the rocky face that protected the place from winds. She let out her chains and began escalating the small cliff, going by instinct, as there was nothing that suggested that something important was held within the blank stones. Her fingers ran over the rough surface, tracing lines charged with chakra. The boulders retreated into the cliff, revealing a passage and stale air. She stepped in, not minding the darkness as she kept a hand on the wall. When she found a dead end, she lit a lamp to reveal a door, one engraved with spirals. She pushed it open and saw a few crates.

Pieces of jewelry, weapons, armors... They were left here to rust, but now they would be salvaged by her. _"They are oxidated, but a skilled smith should be able to reforge them."_ A ruby necklace carved in the shape of the Uzumaki crest was mostly untouched by tarnish, thanks to the gold. She tried unsheathing a katana but gave up after too much struggle, there was no point in damaging them even more. There were some naginatas and kusarigamas in the lot as well, but the tainted metal was a sorry sight. _"Oh well, I did come to take all away."_ A glint caught her eye, a simple platinum ring with a small amethyst gem made her think of her older child. _"It will be a nice gift for Hinata-chan when they grow older."_

* * *

Menma was tasked with the ancient Uzumaki shrine, as Kushina told him of the masks there, one of which that could summon the same shinigami as Naruto's seal. Unknown to the general populace, including yōkais, there were two Enmas with their own subordinates, one for each continent, and the one who stayed on the Elemental side was getting his crap beat out of him by the yōkai one for his negligence and letting humans control his subordinates willy-nilly, forcing him to dissolve the 'contracts' that involved Jigoku and put a tighter grip on unjudged souls, indirectly fucking over some people. But as Menma knew nothing about it, having met only the yōkai Enma, he didn't think much of how a shinigami could be summoned for creating a seal or through a certain mask.

The shrine was starting to get overridden by weed and the paint was flaking off, the shoji panels had been busted by time and by birds seeking shelter. He pushed open the doors, navigating the corridors until he found the room he targeted. He grabbed the mask of an old man and put it on a scroll, intending to seal it, but it failed. For some reason these masks couldn't be inserted in storage seals, so he emptied a large bag. As he proceeded to put the items in the bag, faint wisps of red chakra were being absorbed by the masks close enough to his body. The drain was imperceptible for Menma, as it was equivalent to taking a few glasses from an ocean, too insignificant to be consciously registered.

He then picked the Shinigami mask, running his eyes over the carving and sighing at the dust layers, wondering how the wood survived the test of time. _"I think that they should be destroyed, but Kushina will nag at me if I do it. I'll try to convince her."_ The Inari mask was one that amused him, as it had been obviously based on himself, with the red paint and thick whiskers. _"If I recall correctly, it was the child of Asura who loved legends who initiated the Uzumaki line."_ The Ryūjin surprised him, as it was modeled after Hinata's feral side, making him chuckle with nostalgia. - The zipper made a faint noise as the bag was closed, all the 27 masks were ready to be taken. He slid the strap over his shoulder, hearing the wood clack with the movement.

* * *

Hinata and Shino had to listen to Kiba whining about how life was being unfair to him, as the girl had a boyfriend and the spectacled boy had Fū chasing after him. Akamaru had given up on trying to cheer up his partner and was looking pleadingly at the pair, hitting his paw on the Inuzuka's head. Even their sensei had several guys behind her, with Warashi now serving as a deterrent to most after beating Rasa. "Can't Kami-sama send a pretty girl who likes animals to me?" Kiba hit the table with his head. **"He's quite the complainer, huh?"** Now Hina was among the ones getting tired of this spiel, voicing her condolences to the Hyūga. _"But I do feel bad for him."_ Close by, on a rooftop, was a tokubetsu jōnin watching the Hyūga.

To make things worse for Kiba, his mother was doting on Hana and her boyfriend, Kerberos, urging them to start making grandkids for her, slipping sly looks at her son from time to time. "I don't wanna be thrown at the spinster row!" Was it greedy to ask for a future wife? Was that why he was being left as a third wheel? "Let's spar!" He needed to take out his frustration on something ASAP or he would burst. - Talking of the hellhound, he was being bombarded with questions from Tsume about his lineage, as she kept inquiring if his offsprings could be as strong as him in the future. His three heads weren't hereditary, unlike hydras and similar beings, but he could pass down his affinity with the other side, as regular hellhounds couldn't contact dead souls that didn't turn into phantoms or ghosts.

Warashi was minding his stand when he heard a huff. _"Hoo boy..."_ He turned to face Asuma, who was with a red face and snarling. "I got medicine for blood pressure." The Sarutobi slammed his fist on the counter, rattling the jars full of spices. "If you break it, you bought it." The dark-haired male growled, not wanting to give the small satisfaction of forking money over. "Stay away from Kurenai, I was here first!" The tanuki sighed and resumed organizing his wares. "Treating her like property, that's not a gentlemanly behavior." Asuma was getting incensed. "I don't care! You came from nowhere and took her from me!" Warashi had a neutral look. "She was single when she accepted me, it seems that you behaved in a way that made her think she was another fling to you."

Kurenai was in earshot, away from either males' eyesight. _"So that's how he acts?"_ She was disappointed with herself for thinking that Asuma was better than the usual Konoha male behavior. She was glad for escaping that pit on time, he sounded like he would be an overprotective boyfriend. Warashi was acting in a non-confrontational manner, so if a fight happened it would be Asuma's fault. Well, she should go and make the Sarutobi see that she wasn't on the singles roster, and throwing a tantrum wouldn't change that. - Things could have gone better, Warashi was now moving his small stand away from the site where a man was collapsed on his face and twitching due to a genjutsu while Kurenai scowled.

* * *

In the past, the Uzumakis made use of a powerful summoning scroll, but the war had reaped the lives of all the users, as their opponents feared them and conspired to kill them all. The scroll itself had been stashed away in the library's secret area, but the invaders had torched the place and left the location in shambles, making it difficult to find the hidden room. Most of the Uzumaki knowledge was lost, but now Karin and Naruto were trying their best to find the entrance. But it took many hours, as the library had been huge and they had a few fake calls from old alarm seals.

Naruto was getting irked at the lack of progress, the sun was starting to burn, along with his muscles and brain. "I can feel a faint seal signature here, try digging around this perimeter." Clones hauled fallen roof and wall pieces, coughing occasionally at the soot and dust attacking their faces. "Hey, I hit a tile." The wood panels that used to cover the floor of the library were long gone, leaving only the safe room made of rock and metal supports. Though they only uncovered the entrance, that was a 2x2 meters slab of granite with a spiral etched on the center. "Okay, we removed the dirt, but this is just a piece of solid stone..." Naruto was trying to find a space that indicated an opening, knocking on the surface, but there was none.

Karin made a cut on her finger and smeared it on the spiral, making it glow in recognition of her bloodline. A smaller hatch came off on its own, revealing a dark space and a ladder. "Um... Ladies first?" The expression that Naruto saw made him take back his words and go down on his own with a lamp. "Are you still alive? No horrific trap to kill raiders?" Karin was watching her cousin descend the narrow passage. "Ha. Ha. But seriously, how deep is this thing?" The drop was deceptively deep, so he was at it for longer than he expected. He hit the bottom and turned around to face... a skeleton. - Karin almost guffawed at the high-pitched scream coming from the hole, as her senses indicated that Naruto wasn't in danger. - He was now huffing on exertion, as his heart had packed up and run to the mountains, trying to calm his body. Once he recovered enough, he began exploring the small archive room, seeing all those scrolls.

He pulled out a roll for sealing large loads and began putting all in, frowning at the smell of death left by the skeleton. He moved fast and now there was only one scroll remaining, resting on an altar in the back of the room, with 鳳凰 engraved under it. It was a golden summoning scroll bordered by red flames, with the names of many Uzumakis from the past. He tilted his head, the many complicated kanjis made his head hurt. _"I sure regret not studying literature..."_ But he could somewhat understand the gist of the handseals pictured, and one of the set seemed to be the one that needed to be done first after signing. _"I bet that it's a strong contract!"_ Why else would it be so well hidden and even put separate from others? _"Sign it with blood, and charge some chakra... There."_ His signature and handprint were in place, with him mimicking the way the past summoners wrote. He made a clone to take the scroll with the stash and a message to inform Karin and the others of his testing this new contract.

"Very well, this one is what I should follow, right?" He started the sequence of handsigns, with blood on his fingers and chakra ready to be used. _"Here it goes!"_ He slammed his palm on the floor and got enveloped by smoke. _"Who will I meet?"_ \- The young Namikaze landed on a foreign land, as there were trees he didn't recognize along with several bamboo thickets. These unknown plants were parasol trees and could be seen far and wide. "This must be their territory, but I see nothing and nobody..." How curious, he had to explore the place and try to find the creature of the contract. He began walking, following a trail of sorts that was fenced by the thickets and paved with a dark porous stone. After a few minutes of walking, he came upon an expanse of clearing with several basalt pillars around a granite altar with obsidian and agate details, where he could see a figure resting in a meditative pose.

* * *

Gangut did a few stretches to get rid of boredom, having heard from their night watch that the Uzumakis didn't return even as dawn came. _**{The hell? Were they really exploring the ruins all night?}**_ Now it was close to midday and they were yet to show their faces. But the hunt was fruitful, as they caught a few game birds and a boar. The lack of humans enabled the wildlife to prosper, as there were even some fruits to be harvested. **{This is a nice break from the salty air.}** But if the Uzumakis didn't return by dusk, she would send someone to search for them, as there might have traps still barely functional. **_{It won't do to have a client get hurt on the job.}_**

* * *

 **Of nicknames and childhood.  
**

In a certain yakiniku restaurant in Konoha, was a small group. Kurenai and Hana were staring at their boyfriends as they bickered over the way to use the sauce on the meat. "Hey. Can we ask a question?" They stopped fighting over the flask and heard the girls out. "Hm? Why we call each other Kero and Tama?" The two male yōkai were munching on some meat as their girlfriends put vegetables on the grill. "It started when we were both pups. Pick four letters of his name." The brunet pointed at the silverhead. Kerberos = Kero.

"That doesn't explain the way you call Warashi, though." Kerberos began laughing at something while the tanuki's face darkened. "You do know of his ability with metal dust, right?" At their nods, the hound continued. "Well, there were times when we played together, but if I got too rough, he would make solid spheres and send them at my head for a knockout." Ball = Tama. Then the women recalled something about tanuki pelts and gold nuggets. "Pfft-!" Warashi groaned as his company began laughing, this specific tale had been around since before the Rikudō era and was well known in both continents.

* * *

 **If you know the ideogram's meaning and about the stones' origins, you might figure the summon Naruto got. Sum that with a certain Touhou character and you may arrive at the answer of who Naruto met.  
**


	31. Chapter 29

**It's good to know you like my fanfic, night-fang223. I try to give quality chapters to my readers.  
**

* * *

Naruto was stunned at the regal looks of this human(?), not daring to break the state of concentration for fear of retaliation. Long silver tresses floated with the breeze, creating a halo of sorts around this person. But the body looked a bit androgynous in his eyes, so he wasn't sure of the gender. Then his ears perked up, the wind brought the song of birds, one that was really beautiful. He looked around and saw avian creatures landing all over, on the grass, pillars, bamboos, surrounding him with the person on the center. Some were tiny, being hummingbirds, but there were some raptors that seemed to be larger than Gamabunta even from a distance, making him dread making a wrong move. _"That one has the butt of a lion?"_ A rainbow-tailed peacock with green body landed close to Naruto, looking at him from head to toes as if doing an analysis. "Um... Hello?"

Then all the birds snapped their heads towards the altar, with the Namikaze doing the same a moment later. The person had opened fiery red eyes and rose from the seated position, dressed in red hakama and a simple white shirt. "Greetings Uzumaki scion, may I know your name?" The voice was definitely from a female, but he couldn't jump to conclusions. "G-greetings, I was given the name of Naruto." He bowed stiffly, sweating buckets at the several piercing gazes. The woman(?) walked to him, each step a show of royalty. "It has been a few decades since the last contractor passed away. It will be an honor to work with a summoner once again." The birds all chattered as if cheering in agreement. "Now, there are some things you must know." He twitched at that, did he do something wrong‽

"This place, - she swept her arms towards the entire clearing, - is one that only one summoner found on their own before yourself." Was it good or bad? "He was the forefather of your clan and a few others, Ōtsutsuki Asura. The younger heir of the Rikudō." His jaw slacked in surprise, having heard of the legendary sage from his godfather. "Even your clanmates from long ago required the aid of a guide." She gestured for him to follow her. "But be warned of our nature." She tilted her head back. "We, as a high tier summon, override previous contracts. Even the toads can't compare to us." He flinched at that, was it worth losing the Gama contract? Then he shook his head, the perv and his father would understand, something that even the son of the Rikudō used should be truly strong and a bolster to his future. Besides that, he guiltily admitted to himself, those larger birds were much cooler in appearance than toads. As if hearing his thoughts, a titanic crested harpy gave out a proud cry and preened, showing off the beak and talons.

"Do you know 'who' we are?" At the negative, she sighed. "I should have expected it, for time erodes human knowledge." Once they were standing on the altar, him by the stairs and her on the center, he saw something incredible. "You are the new contractor of the phoenixes, the Fenghuang." Large wings made of white fire unfurled from her back, spanning a little over three meters. "I am the boss of this realm, Fujiwara no Mokou. I look forward to working with you again." _"Eh?"_ She stepped closer to him, her hand clad on fire. "Now, shall we confirm the pact?" There was no heat, so Naruto took it with confidence. He saw the emblem of her kind appear on the back of his hand, having an orange coloring. "So that's the hue closest to your heart." He chuckled with a little tinge of embarrassment.

* * *

Fukasaku and Shima were reading the list of names of past and present summoners, recalling anecdotes about some of the more prominent ones. When they got to the end, with the three current summoners, they began chatting over the potential of the youngest. "Naruto-chan will be the greatest Sennin of this era, I'm sure of it, just look at his lineage." The tiny couple laughed in mirth. "Jiraiya-chan is training him by now, I can't wait for when Minato-chan takes over and helps him unlock his full abilities." They croaked with glee just with the idea. "Do you think that Naruto-chan can perfect the Sennin mode?" Fukasaku ran his fingers over the signature. "Jiraiya-chan managed to get farther than most from the past, barely taking toad traits. Minato-chan just barely managed to perfect it with a long and grueling training." The male closed his eyes with a smile. "I'm sure that the child can perfect it faster than his father."

Then, all of a sudden, a plume of fire surged from Naruto's signature, shocking the toad sages, extinguishing with an ominous trill that sounded like a mocking laugh. "What...? No... no, no, nonono!" They grabbed the scroll, eyes wide in disbelief at the now blank space, shaking their heads in distress. "We must warn Jiraiya and Minato! Luckily the scroll still has trace amounts of chakra, so we might be able to reach the last place he was with a modified summon!" - The men were shocked at the news, not knowing why this event happened, but at least it wasn't caused by death. "I and Minato will take the Sennin mode to heighten our battle capacity, you two focus on getting there." Shima nodded. "He must be at another summon realm, so this should work." Minato was frowning, not getting how this came to be. But they would convince whoever overrode them to undo it.

 **Freedom eagle screech~**

Mokou had dismissed Naruto back to Uzushio when her senses alerted of intruders in her realm. _"I shall show them that toads should fear the sky."_ Her wings opened and she took flight, being accompanied by person-sized silver eagles. - The humans had steely eyes, having sensed the boss summon approaching them from above, standing ready to fight. Having dismissed her wings, Mokou landed in front of them as her eagles stayed aloft, circling over the area. Fukasaku's and Shima's eyes almost bugged off their sockets, they had committed a severe error! But the humans didn't notice. "We demand that you return Naruto's summoning rights to the toads." The humans had a feeling that a humanoid summon was off the norm, but they didn't care.

Jiraiya was scowling at the female. His tendencies were nowhere to be seen, even with her beauty. Minato pulled out one of his tri-kunai to help with the intimidation. Mokou tried to keep her cool, but her face cracked and she began laughing raucously at the display, making the men angry. But before they could attack, the toads warned them to stay still. "Why? She took Naruto's right to his heirloom!" This made the woman laugh harder, making their frowns dig deeper. "So only these amphibians know who I am." Her face then became serious. "I am the boss of the phoenixes, a contract miles above in importance than the toads, even with your senjutsu. Why should I yield to your whims?" They tried to use the argument that Naruto would need the Sennin mode to protect himself. "Hah, so you don't know anything..."

Her wings came out again, soaking in the sunlight and beating slowly, creating an air current. "That is-!" A red spiral appeared over her chest, along with several streaks on her limbs, as a white aura covered her body, flickering like flames. She raised a hand turned talons and checked the nails absentmindedly, her eyes turned red bolts of lightning managed to convey boredom. "Heirloom? I worked with Uzumakis for centuries since the Rikudō age, they even used my current form as the base for their clan crest. Senjutsu? I hold one of the strongest sage techniques." She came close to them in a flash, with heated claws about to strike their necks. "If you know what's good for you, scram."

* * *

Hinata was now walking through the streets, alone. "Come out, Dango-san." She heard a chuckle and someone landed behind her. "Since when did you notice me?" Hinata turned to face the one and only Mitarashi Anko. "You slipped when Kiba-kun ordered your favorite food." The snake user twitched in response, it was just a finger slipping over a tile. "As expected from a Hyūga, so perceptive." Hinata had a passive expression. "You came after me for the chakra on your neck, right?" The woman slapped a hand over the place, grimacing. "What m-made you think that?" The girl simply pointed to her eyes. "Oh, right, damn dōjutsu."

Anko sighed, she had seen some Hyūga that were definitely from the Bouke walk around with bare foreheads, there was nothing to cover a seal, not even make-up. That sight gave her hope for herself so she captured one of the freed ones and took the info she needed, but there was no need for her usual methods, the man sang praises to a certain girl. "Do you think you can take it off?" Hinata tilted her head. "Maybe, we won't know until I try." The duo went to the jōnin's place and the woman revealed the seal that branded her. "It feels like the seal put on Fū that I destroyed." This made the woman make a few questions that the girl answered.

Hinata had her hands on the mark. "Very well, I will start it, but it might hurt a lot." Anko gritted her teeth. "Can't beat the pain I felt when I got this shit, I bet." Blue chakra began coursing into the mark, making it react. Anko felt as if two animals were fighting in her gut, shredding her insides. But she toughed it out, her freedom was worth the suffering. Hinata was better prepared this time, knowing some of the tactics of self-preservation of the Hebi Sennin's seals. This time she wouldn't let it use a life as a hostage. The snake fought against the dragon, fighting with all it got, but the serpent was devoured in the end. The black ink disappeared in chunks as Hinata's chakra ate it, taking away Orochimaru's hold over his former pupil.

The woman fell on her hands, panting at the lingering pain and inner turmoil. "Mirror..." She stumbled to the bathroom and pulled back her shirt. "This..." Pristine skin greeted her sight as if she never got tainted to start with. Tears brimmed and began falling, Jiraiya and Minato had once told her that she would take the brand to the grave, as it was like the Hyūga seal. But a single girl turned that idea on its head and kicked it in a volcano, contradicting that claim just by existing. "I'm free... I'm finally free!" Hinata was about to go home when a purple blur grabbed her in a bear hug. Anko couldn't thank her enough and kept repeating words of gratitude, making her remember of when she rescued Kerberos from the researchers.

* * *

Naruto returned to a royally pissed off brother and worried females, the latter who tried to pry Menma's hands off the blond's head as the older twin attempted to pop it like a zit. "You big idiot!" The boy explained to his relatives what he saw in the summoning realm. "So you met that old chicken..." Three pairs of eyes stared at Menma. "What, I **am** the Kyūbi. How long did you think I have been alive for?" That was something awkward to reply, as he didn't act as if he were old as fuck. "And what she said about Asura is true, that brat had even tried to date that turkey." Naruto didn't need that information. "Well. We all got what we came to find. Let's find those seadogs and start the burial rites." Menma was the first to grab his load, being followed by the others.

Gangut was sleeping on her face as Hibiki messed with her hair, the bones of a large boar were eaten clean and shiny by the crew, with white dotting the entire campsite. The adults were downed by the large amount of alcohol they indulged in, with only Houshou remaining as she dried the washed cooking utensils. **{Oh, they came back.}** She put down the knives and turned to the passed out lot. **{Lagiacrus!}** The drunkards all sobered to a point and rose to their feet, trying to reach for weapons. **{Food!}** Gangut regretted getting up so fast and fell to her knees, horking up a technicolor rainbow and making a Hibiki attached to her back whine in disgust. Similar things happened with the others to a greater or lesser extent, making Houshou 'whoops' at the disaster.

The Uzumakis held their noses to stave off the smell, picking the offered shovels to help Houshou dispose of the bio-waste. **{The hell happened here?}** Menma had a grimace, as his nose was really sensitive. **{A feast.}** He decided to leave things at that. - Once Gangut was mostly recovered, she faced her guests. "Are you all done?" Kushina nodded. "Need help?" Another nod. "We thank you for all your aid." The captain waved it off. "We know how it feels to return to destruction. A sea life isn't exactly safe." Then the redhead had a question. "What is the language you use with my son and your crew?" Gangut took some tea to soothe her stomach. "Yōkai language. For some reason, humans can't learn it, but yōkai can learn human language." The captain grabbed more tea. "A mystery from before the world was separated. Same thing for how we can still understand each other after these ages of isolation." Kushina had a quizzical face. "Yes, I myself and my entire crew are yōkai, but there's no need to show it."

* * *

The burial took place at dusk, as they had decided to respect Kushina's decision to separate invaders from locals. Gangut and half of the crew took the invaders to be burned by a sea cliff, hauling wood for the large pyre. There were no ill feelings between the captain and these dried skeletons, they were just bones in her eyes. She lowered the cap over her eyes, biting the briar pipe. A request was a request, there was no reason for her to refuse it. She looked at the large bonfire, with many bodies piled within. **{Start the fire.}** Her eyes reflected the morbid light, watching as the embers came to life and reached for the heavens. **{I got nothing personal with you, may the Enma judge you fairly.}** Until where she knew, some could have been forced into this, but it was too late to inquire about it. **{Goodbye, unknown soldiers.}** The captain and her crew paid their respects with a marine salute.

The other half dug several graves on the Uzumaki's former clan house, having cleared away the debris, under the rocky face. Kushina made a single headstone, as their individual names were lost. /Here lay the proud inhabitants of Uzushio. May their memory live on./ The pair of toddlers had gone to Kushina, sensing her sadness and wanting to relieve some of it. "Oh, come here, you two." Akatsuki waved some dandelions, trying to attach the flowers to the red hair. "Let me do it." The woman picked the yellow herb and tied one to her hair, doing the same with the remaining two with the girls. Hibiki seemed to be quietly cheerful as her counterpart giggled with happiness. - Once everything was finished, it was time to return to the mainland. But Naruto and his fellow sufferers of ship-cocktail syndrome dreaded passing by the whirlpools again.

Kushina unsealed the scrolls found in the library and rummaged through them. "What'cha doing?" Everybody watched as the woman opened some scrolls then sealed them back in the storage. "Found it!" She held a small scroll and put the rest away. "Let's see... For a safe naval passage, have an Uzumaki descendant stand on the deck while flaring their chakra..." Gangut had a look of disbelief and palmed her face. "We all busted our asses while having an easier route right on our hands..." Some sung cheers for not having to go through a tumbler so soon. "Sorry..." The redhead got pats on the head. "Don't worry, you didn't know it before." It was time to set sail, the next meeting was with the Onis in Tanzaku.

* * *

In a certain mountain range, in an artificially made plain space, a party was taking place. **{Do you remember what day it is?}** A female was swishing a large sake dish in her hand. **{I dunno, but our guests will arrive with the full moon, right?}** The satellite was already in its first quarter, going into waxing gibbous. **{It was a kitsune showing his world to his pet humans, right?}** The pale celestial body was reflected on the translucent sake poured into a wooden boxy cup, a masu. **{Let's show them how we are good hosts!}** A purple gourd covered with talismans was spun in the air as a petite figure stood over a rocky outcropping. **{Yeah! Let's show them why we're famous even among Oni!}**

* * *

 **I was so damn tempted to swap beauty for hotness, sorry. And you should already have guessed who is the Oni trio if you know Touhou.  
**


	32. Chapter 30

**I could have taken off Naruto and some others from the story, I could even have left Kushina and Minato to rot... Or even leave all the Uchihas as fertilizer. But I didn't, simple as that. And I'll admit to forgetting about developing Naruto more. Sorry.**

 **About the pairing issue...** **୧( ಠ Д ಠ )୨** **CALM YOUR TITS READERS! She, yes, a female, will appear during the vampire meeting, in the next chapter or so, give me time dammit!  
**

 **For those who dislike training arcs, the trip arc is roughly a few days/weeks per chapter, so it will be finished soon. Any more questions? No? Onwards with the story, then.  
**

* * *

Three foxes with riders jumped from rock to rock, deft limbs catching barely visible grooves and jutting protuberances. "Why those Onis chose a difficult place to settle‽" Kushina saw no point on picking such a hard to reach location for supposedly strong beings. **"They aren't there for their safety, but for others' safety. Their spars could kill an average human." **This scared the other kids, with Karin visibly crying at the idea. "Then WHY are we going to their place‽" One of the Menmas grinned at the terrified girl. **"To give you all an idea of the yōkai's power."** Flying dust and bits of stone came into sight in the distance, with loud rumbling and crashing noises being heard. A few jumps later and the Uzumakis saw a trio of people punching large boulders into pebbles.

 **{Oh, they're here.}** The blonde Oni and the tallest one clapped her hands to clean them, with the other two doing the same. **{Hey there, may we bother you into a training session for a while?}** Menma let the riders drop off, and was now a human with fox traits. Naruto saw his twin chat with the Onis for a few minutes, knowing instinctively that it would end in pain for him. His training with summoning phoenixes was much easier than with toads, as what he needed the most was picturing the one he wanted to summon more than chakra. Mokou had even told him of her meeting with the toad summonses and masters, making him not expect for the chat he would have with a certain duo. Kushina had also started up the youngsters on fūinjutsu, the greatest Uzumaki legacy besides their kekkei genkais, using the instructive scrolls salvaged.

The blond was the one who suffered the most in learning it, as he let himself go sloppy on his calligraphy and disliked reading. Naruto was suddenly brought off his musings by the pinkette Oni, who lifted him by the shirt scruff with one hand. "Hm, a good constitution and spirit, but too bad that it wasn't properly molded." That last bit stung, reminding him of how he slacked off and of (Danzō's) machinations he knew not. "But don't fret, we will bring you up to speed." Was that a sadistic or an eager smirk? Both were bad news with where the situation was going. _"Help me..."_ "Let him go Kasen-chan, we didn't lose the bet yet." The petite one slapped the one holding the boy on the arm. "Yo, I'm Suika, and you?" Naruto gave his name, getting to know all their names in exchange.

Menma was now sitting facing Yuugi, two large sake dishes between them. "Very well~ Shall we start this match? Sudden death, first to fall loses~" Suika poured the gourd's contents on the dishes and the competitors began their match, downing gulp after gulp, neither wanting to lose. Kushina was worried, wasn't her son still too young to be drinking? But now there was no interfering, and neither side seemed to be slowing down. _"I hope you know what you're doing, Sochi."_ Kitsune and Oni were sturdy races when it came to drinking, with repeated matches in the past showing that they were about equal on tolerances, both losing and winning some. This time Menma won, but he was wobbling on his seat and was flushed, with Yuugi already on her back. "Dang..." *Hic-* "I shouldn't have drunk before you arrived..." *Ugh-* "Well, a lost bet is a promise."

* * *

Hagoromo's treasures had been monopolized by Kumo in the past, as they used the five tools for their own purposes. But the KinGin Kyōdai had taken them all, with only the Kohaku no Jōhei accounted for, as the other four were lost wherever the brothers hid them. Now, two crow tengu and one wolf tengu were after them, albeit the last one was unwilling. With the longhaired thoughtography skill, they tried to narrow down the location of the tools, with the shorthaired desiring the legendary fan. **{Aya, I think we are getting closer to the location.}** The trio had gone to a barren mountain, where the imprints of enormous paws could still be seen after centuries of erosion. **{Ooh~ Those must have been made by the Ryūjin's mate, that Kyūbi who remained on this side!}** Aya had taken a picture of the place, wondering if she would have a chance to interview the fox.

 **{Hatate, doesn't that cave entrance look familiar?}** The poor wolf felt as if her stomach was moving around as the crows dived to the entrance, landing hard enough to kick up dust. **{Okay, this should be where these treasures were hidden.}** A small flame on the tip of a finger illuminated a surprising amount of space, making shadows dance on the walls. **{This cave is deep, did humans dig it out?}** They walked a long way, noticing that there were no forks to confound people. The little girl looked mournfully at how the sunlight became more and more distant but had no choice but to follow the duo, the area was void of life for miles. **{We struck gold!}** Aya saw the pair of skeletons, her eyes falling on the pristine scroll. The crescent enveloping a smaller circle confirmed her hunch, this was where the treasures were stored! **{Hahaha~ Let's open this beauty~}** There were five slots drawn on the paper, but Aya paid attention only to the one containing 芭蕉扇. **{Bashōsen, come to your new master~!}**

The red and white fan came out with some chakra, sending the tengu into a giddy frenzy as she rubbed her face on it. **{Don't look Momiji, that's the ritual of a pervert.}** Hatate covered the girl's eyes while holding a deadpan face at the shameful display. Aya paid no mind and ran out, anxious to test her new toy. **{Pick the scroll and let's go, that idiot might do something reckless!}** Momiji barely had time to shove the cylinder in her hip holster when the tengu grabbed her and ran out as well. It was a good call, as Aya began going wild right when her companions got out of the cave, waving the fan with abandon and sending all five elements around like confetti. Hatate took Momiji to a safe distance in the air, both watching as the maddened tengu made the cave collapse after sending boulders at it. **{Whew, we might have gotten trapped if we delayed our escape.}** The wolf got fearful of the destructive performance, why did she have to go out to train that day? She wouldn't be here if she had let herself stay napping.

* * *

After the sober-up, a plan to train all of them was traced. "General training and heavy duty sparring." Three people wondered how they would survive. "One with your body, the other with clones. Yes, even you, Karin." Kushina dreaded the impending headaches, but those determined faces made it hard to protest. "Heh, I hope you're all ready for hell!" The Onis had sinister grins and cracked their knuckles, making their future victims gulp. "Now, shall we start?" - To build up their muscular power, several weights of varying sizes were provided, while speed was to be earned with weight on their backs and an obstacle course. From Kushina to Menma, all of them had to go through it. Spars were done by sending Kage Bunshin to the trio, as Karin was imparted with the technique. Naruto practiced his barrage with all three, as their varying heights and fighting styles provided valuable learning.

Yuugi was a mountain, unyielding on her parries and hard-hitting like an avalanche, reminding Kushina of Tsunade, even more, when she took a stance to deliver devastating punches. Clones became smoke with a single hit on her hands. Suika was more of a nimble brawler, with her seemingly drunk totter messing with their expectations built on regular movements, whenever they thought they had dodged a grapple - Bam! - she would strike with an uppercut or a kick to the kidneys. Kasen was refined, with a style that came close to the Hyūga on her usage of palm strikes and timely dodges, weaving through the mass Naruto sent to her like a butterfly between leaves. But even the pink Oni wasn't above using dirty strikes, having given the twins a few obliterating knees to the groin, the real duo even fainted a few times at the sudden memories.

By unconsciously focusing on finding a way to make their clones have a more long-lasting fight beyond simply dodging, the Uzumakis ended up instinctively discovering how to make the Kage Bunshin much sturdier, managing to tank a few dozen full punches before dispelling. And if you were to compare the hits usually taken by those clones with what the Onis could dish out, even kunai or offensive jutsus paled in damage output. The other side effects were of increasing their already respectable chakra pools and building up their tolerance to punishment, as they sometimes felt all the pain with no damage. During the breaks given to recover energy and stamina, the Onis would chat with the family over miscellaneous themes, answering questions about the lifestyle available on the other continent. There was one small incident where a drunk Suika tried to make Menma spit out the mythical (but very real) gem held by his kin, applying Heimlich on him, coming close to crushing his ribcage.

Kasen had noticed that the young girl seemed to be disappointed at herself, comparing her performance with the others. She pulled her aside for a talk, giving Karin some guidance after seeing the brief dejection at her relative's progress. "Every person has their own circumstances, be it birth, upbringing or beliefs." She let herself slip into her preaching mode, trying to hold back from saying more hard-hitting truths she had noticed. "They aren't superior to you, simply different, just look at me and my friends. We're all Oni, but our powers and methods are focused on different areas. Try and find the way best suited to you." Karin thought about it, she lacked destructive power, but her senses were much sharper and her control finer. Maybe she could exploit that? "Just another little thing..." Kasen whispered something to the redhead, making her eyes widen.

* * *

Minato looked at the bracelet. "What is this?" Warashi smiled at his confusion. "If you are to welcome yōkai in the village, you must make your people use these." At the puzzled face, he built the explanation. "For now, with only four yōkai, as Kousaka already went back, there's no risk of monsterization." Then both recalled how Team 7 went to Wave. "Also, that group stayed there briefly, there wasn't time for it to kick in." But once the amount of yōki sources increases, monsterization would be a predictable outcome. "These trinkets were first made a long time ago, in an attempt to keep the human numbers from falling, until they bred resistance to our energy." Nobody had expected that to happen, thinking that the bracelets would be a permanent addition to human lives.

The same couldn't be said of this side. "That process takes a few weeks of continued exposure to an air saturated with that chakra." Minato was convinced, asking the tanuki to order as much of the tools as he could. The civilians were already antsy with the imminent increase in the number of non-humans, and the fear of turning randomly wouldn't help things. _"But I know quite a few people who would welcome the change."_ The Inuzuka clan was the most obvious example, considering their animalistic tendencies, so they would welcome turning into canine beastmen easily. The Yamanaka might desire becoming satori or other races naturally attuned to the mental realm, like bakus and nightmares. _"Didn't Warashi say that Ā became one of them?"_ And apparently, the brutish man was about to have a pair of heirs.

Then the Hokage thought about the girlfriend of his son, her chakra was an absurd phenomenon. If she willed it so, it would come out from her body as a mini dragon, which consumed chakra from living and inanimate things as if it were simply food, being able to target specific chakra even if it all looked the same even to the byakugan. Minato had let her experiment her skill with diverse seals, and in the case of storage ones, anything inside would be spat out once the energy infused in the seal was fully devoured. And the fearsome factor in that little thing was that it wasn't something one could block, as it was simply made of energy and only faded away on its own will (or Hinata's) or through specific methods. If the girl had been a sadist, she could go after an opponent, infuse them with the construct and just wait for it to eat most of the bodily chakra, virtually crippling the person down to below civilian levels.

 _"I'm so happy she's on Konoha's side, that could be an unparalleled assassination technique."_ One touch, then death, if it were to be left on long enough for it to consume the core or be ordered to injure vital organs. From what he had garnered from sparse comments from Warashi and Kerberos, this little girl had been a veritably powerful ruler in her past life, and it didn't surprise him. _"Nobody can survive organ failure without medical assistance, and I'm dubious if one could survive after having the core damaged, what to say of a destroyed one."_ He shuddered, what if Hinata suffered an event that turned her vengeful against the world and became strong enough to be unopposed by everyone? _"Scary..."_

* * *

A butler with silver hair poured hibiscus tea for two, setting them in front of his lady and her friend. **{So, what have your eyes revealed this time?}** Red irises scoured the face of the other female to see if she was paying attention. **{Do you recall the letter sent by a tanuki?}** The one holding a book sighed. **{How wouldn't I recall papers covered by allergens?}** The lady chuckled, her friend was too dramatic sometimes. **{Well, by the time the moon starts to wane, a fox shall arrive with his entourage.}** By the walls that surrounded the luxurious mansion was a large scaly beast, with two humongous hounds that aided in guarding the premises. **{Has that gatekeeper received the photos, Sakuya?}** The majordomo had absconded temporarily to get refreshments. **{Yes, Milady. The dogs even acquaintanced themselves with clothes sent as identifiers.}** Otherwise they might have a messy situation to fix.

* * *

 **Yep, Izayoi Sakuya is MALE here. Sexy butler for the horny females/homos. And Hong Meiling is the wyrm Minato fears so much, first mentioned in chapter 11/12. By the way, 50 favorites/follows milestone... scroll down.  
**

* * *

 **The Enma's punishment  
**

Hagoromo wasn't a religious man, preferring to believe on what he could see, in the willpower of humans. He had faith in the people, that's why he had put up the barrier to keep the monsters on their side, so they wouldn't taint humanity like they did with his brother. But in his last moments, he saw his error, his Bijū children had become more 'human' because of the monsters, they learned empathy, love, happiness, with monsters. Maybe Hamura had been right, he shouldn't have isolated the continents. He had played at being God, the same thing as his mother, Kaguya. He was no better than that wretched hag. "Otouto... I'm really sorry... I was blind even with my eyes..." It was too late for anything, for he was dead, suspended in a limbo. There was no concept of time in this void until Hagoromo saw himself in a kind of tribunal, standing on a pillar over an abyss. _"Where-?"_ A woman with strange clothes and a small staff sat at the judge position, looking into a mirror.

"The judgment of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Hijiri Hamura shall commence." Two androgynous people(?) were by the sides, writing on long scrolls, clad on either pure white or black. At the second name, his head whipped around, searching for his estranged brother. "Hamura!" He was close by and in a similar situation. "Onii-sama." That was the most Hamura would acknowledge. Chains enveloped Hagoromo when it seemed he would jump. "Silence, there will be no disturbances until the sentences are carried out." The woman had a domineering disposition, flooring even the Rikudō, a man so powerful that was almost godlike. "This is the Hall of the Damned, where your actions shall be examined to measure your worth." The mirror face was glimpsed by Hagoromo, who saw many parts of his life on the reflection. "Jigoku, Tengoku. Black, White. Your lives shall spell your fate."

The staff held tiny writing the man couldn't read, but they surely spelled out his regrets to the woman. Every action, down to the smallest sin or the tiniest benevolence, they were all laid bare for her eyes. Once the process was finished, she went for Hamura first, laying a world of hurt on him by beating with the rod, which carried his sins. Because Hagoromo had been looking at his brother, he was blindsided by the outstandingly heavy rod that struck his face, wielded by a male similar to the woman in features and clothing. "We, Shiki Eiki Yamaxanadu, shall enact the first punishment." The scribing pair didn't mind the blood that began flying, as it slid off them and the scrolls harmlessly. Both brothers sustained injuries but said nothing. Hamura had a longer life, one used to soothe and guide the lives of the people he met. The same could be said of Hagoromo but he held many sins, some of which held catastrophic consequences, blackening his records.

"Hijiri Hamura, will you go to Tengoku, or await reincarnation?" The man chose to wait for the next life. "It would be good to meet my little family again." Hamura was taken somewhere, while the pair of yamas looked at the man remaining. "Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, you are guilty. Your sentence shall be carried through four of the Eight Hot Hells and five of the Eight Cold Hells, alternating between them." The woman made a gesture and Oni servants took Hagoromo to serve his penance. "We shall revise your records at a later date. Until then, endure." One could only wonder how Indra's soul would be punished. **{Erm...}** The female Eiki glared at the Enma tasked with humans, hiding behind a pillar. **{Because you let that man stay unjudged until now, and because Hamura would only let himself be trialed along with his brother, I took precedence on the judge seat.}** The burly man with black hair was uncomfortable. **{You should get a grip on yourself, or else, I'll keep punishing you.}  
**


	33. Chapter 31

**To better picture some characters, I suggest that you go see Warugaki (sk-ii) on Danbooru.**

* * *

Naruto spat blood and glared at Suika, who had a lazy smirk forming on her lips, twirling the sake gourd. "What's the matter~? Hurt ego~?" The blond had asked for one real match before they departed, leading to the current situation. He decided to forgo the clone barrage this time, wanting to use his other skills, besides, she had grown accustomed to the zerg rush. He had used his new strength to land hits on her, but she just smirked, as if saying it hurt as much as baby punches. She was really quick, he had to admit it, and hitting her felt like striking steel beams. Taijutsu was less effective, so he would have to use ninjutsu. Fūton bullets, Suiton blades, even Katon balls, she shrugged them all off like dust. C to B ranks wouldn't be much help, although they had more effect than his punches, leaving singes and bruises.

 _"I've got only one big jutsu, but I still can't add elements to it fully..."_ Kushina had revealed some facts about the Rasengan, favored by Minato, coupled with tidbits gathered by the twins. As Menma could use the Bijūdama, the inspiration for the technique, it was much easier to engineer the process to create the chakra sphere. Naruto had taken to it like a bird to flying, managing to make a regular one in a short time, but then, he hit a snag. _"I can add only so much Fūton before it simply explodes."_ Then his eyes widened, and if he made it explode on her? It was worth an attempt. Suika watched as the boy brought his hands close, cupping them together. **_{So he's going to use that, let's test it then.}_** The blond made a super compressed Rasengan, the size of a golf ball, holding it on his left while keeping a 'grip' on it.

Naruto had managed to come close to Suika's face and had one ball ready for use, buzzing with the Fūton imbued on it. It wasn't perfected, but this much should be able to damage the Oni. The Rasengan was slammed on her face, with her planting her feet to tank it. It was a small match of wills, one that was won by Naruto as he slammed a second normal Rasengan on her gut, overcharging both spheres, and sent her flying. Suika made a small crater with her body and a large dust cloud. Once it dissipated, she was shown with several thin cuts all over her face. "Not bad, brat. I can't wait for you to perfect it." The end was to be decided with his surrender or spilling her blood, and the red fluid came down in small streaks. "Train more, then we'll have a rematch!" If one were to consider an Oni skin as hard as stone, then his attack could leave a gruesome scene if used on a human.

* * *

Hinata had gone to visit the Cerberus at the Inuzuka compound, curious about his life. Days had gone by and soon it would be three months since Menma had departed, she wanted some interaction beyond family and team. She did hear about some yōkai looking into settling within Konoha itself, but considering how Minato was hesitant in putting up measures to punish xenophobic humans, the prospects weren't good, as she had felt fearful glares from time to time. Maybe it would turn into a futile project, but at least there were people willing to try and welcome them. Tsume had been eager to welcome canids, with a few werewolves and cù-sidhe already within the walls of the Inuzuka compound, but she was anxious to get enough to kickstart monsterization.

Warashi had shown his work ethics weren't that different from humans, so part of the original fear had been curbed. But humans always feared what they couldn't understand, Hagoromo being the prime example. She just hoped this side of the world could eventually come to accept them as much the other did, even if it took years or decades to get to the same level. Which of those wills would prevail here, in the end, Hamura's or Hagoromo's? She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sight of a Kerberos trying to claw his way over the wall, with people on the other side demanding him to come down. "You know that you need your shots!" "You will get immunity boosters whether you like it or not!" The girl was overcome with nostalgia, he always feared needles, but he shouldn't be blamed, considering his past.

Red met pale violet. "MAMA, HELP ME!" Some Inuzukas who were on the outside had (=_=) faces at the outburst, looking at Hinata with second-hand embarrassment. Then Kerberos seemed to feel something hitting him, becoming lethargic and falling back. "Sorry for the display, Hyūga-san, but he wouldn't stay still." She waved off their worries and went to check on the hound. - Hana had a vein throbbing in her neck as she emptied needles filled with vaccines on the arm and buttocks of this idiot. "Wow, isn't that a little too big?" Hinata eyed the metal tip, it seemed to be thicker than the usual hypodermic needle. Hana had eyes darkened with anger, revealing the bruising on her arms and pointing to the broken door. "He deserves it, he will feel it for a few days." Hinata didn't retort, she used to have to pin down the dog so he would get his doses.

After she finished discounting her frustration through the medical procedure, Hana was now petting the mop of silver hair and chatting with Hinata, answering her questions of his daily life in the clan. "Now that those yōkais arrived here, kaa-san is all over them. It's a relief, it was starting to get stifling." Hana had almost told the matriarch to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. "Now, now, I'm sure she will calm down soon." Hana fell silent. "Kerberos really looks up to you, Hinata, he always speaks of you of now and then, so fondly." The girl smiled at that. "He was always a good child, take care of him for me." The Hyūga exited the compound, happy to see that even with his stunts Kerberos was still treasured. She had to give a wide berth to Kiba, though, as the depressive aura was too much for her to deal with for now. "Die, normies..."

* * *

A shadow meandered between the trees, a forked tongue tasting the air for intruders. A smaller shape followed, mimicking its acts. It was the wyrm that Minato read about in his reports, accompanied by its hatchling. This specific specimen had an interesting mutation shared by the young, bearing a secondary head on the tip of its tail, like the mythical amphisbaena. This trait was what attracted its current master into employing it as a guardian, besides the keen senses and ability to feel and identify chakra from far. Its head snapped in one direction and broke into a run, followed by the child, weaving through the trees like the wind. The Uzumakis were spooked by the sight of two huge croc-like creatures suddenly popping from the treeline. Menma had confidently approached the giant lizards, making the others fear for his life.

 **{Hello there, may we have a meeting with your master?}** A serpentine tongue came out a few times as those eyes moved slowly over each person. **{I was informed of your arrival. Follow me.}** Menma gestured for his group to start walking, as the steps of the wyrms were large and fast. Soon, large bricked walls were sighted, with a huge metal gate being the one way in. The larger lizard turned into a tall redhead, overtaking Kushina by a head, and pushed the bars open easily, motioning for them to enter. Four walked towards the mansion, enjoying the garden around them. The double doors opened from the inside, revealing a man with silver hair. Karin blushed at the handsome butler who welcomed them. "Milady has been waiting for your arrival, I shall take you to her."

A beautiful woman dressed in a regal manner came into sight, giving a brief curtsy, mimicked by the girls as Menma showed Naruto a polite bow to emulate. "Greetings to my new guests. I am the Lady of this mansion, Remilia Scarlet." Kushina had to admit that she wouldn't be misplaced in a Daimyō event. "Greetings, we of the Uzumaki clan thank you for the generosity." After they all gave their names, Menma took the lead in the interactions, bantering amiably with the vampire. Naruto felt a gaze on him and discretely peeked around, but there were many pillars to hide behind and the halls were large and dim. _"What was that?"_ He could swear that he had glimpsed a flash of yellow and red going behind a corner. Then he saw a small girl with wings and maid clothes start dusting the place. _"Menma-nii did mention fairies."_

* * *

The library under the mansion was massive and only grew larger as its master added to it by buying more or writing some herself. Patchouli Knowledge (a name that made Naruto laugh until he got struck by a thick tome) was a prolific researcher, as she had dabbled on all manners of theoretical and practical subjects, with alchemy and magic being her favorites. Menma had dragged his twin to the section containing politic and good manners books, intending on giving the blond a crash course in both subjects, considering his future ambition. "If you want to be a good, no, at least a passable Hokage, you **will** need to learn about these things." Before Naruto could complain about boring studies, Menma spoke of historical events that could have been prevented if the culprit had kept manners and politics in mind. "Are you still going to complain?" The blond shook his head, that face promised pain.

After a few hours, Menma went to chat with Patch, leaving his twin reading by himself. As Naruto read those books from the 'For Dummies' series, some things became clearer in his mind, as they explained facts even better than Iruka ever did. *Clink~* He rose his eyes from the pages and looked around, even over his head, but saw nobody. _"Was it one of those fairies?"_ He shrugged and resumed reading. *Giggle...* Okay, now this was creepy, no soul on sight and hearing hallucinations? _"Nah, ghosts don't exist-"_ In this inopportune moment, his mind decided to replay Menma's and Patchouli's complaints about vengeful spirits and poltergeists that had to be banished by specific methods, bemoaning their existence. A voiceless scream threatened to escape his throat as his eyes opened to their limit, an involuntary shudder worming its path up his spine.

Then he felt a cold breath wash over his ear. _"Ghosts do exist, after all."_ He set down the book on a small table, took in a deep breath, and ran like a pussy towards where he last saw the others, screaming like a siren. - Menma and Patchouli wondered why Naruto started screaming over one of the mansion's members, while Karin and Koakuma hid their grins, swallowing their laughter while trembling with the effort. "What -pff- does this rune do?" Karin had become star-struck when she heard about the finer details of alchemy and magical circles, her mind demanded she learned she was learning the basics with the devil familiar before she could get to the good stuff with the magician. The blond boy came barreling in and was now sticking to Menma's legs, shaking in his pants. The pair of redhead girls were collapsed on the table, still trying to stifle their amusement at Naruto's overreaction.

* * *

Gaara was watching as Marisa threw herbs and other unidentified ingredients in a cauldron, his sand at ready to make a shield. He had tasted one too many explodey soups and didn't want a repeat performance, but he couldn't get away due to a charm this witch slapped on him, removable only by her hands. "Come on, Ga-chan, this will be worth it!" His face, ever the unchanging one, conveyed his disbelief clearly. And those fumes... were purple and neon green smokes acceptable byproducts in her book? - Contrary to his expectations, it didn't explode, this time. The concoction had congealed into something vaguely chocolatey that she molded into balls and decorated with white string-like candy. _"They look too much like bombs!"_

She dragged him through the charm limited range, taking those suspicious things she claimed to be edible to his house. Laid out in a basket, they looked innocent enough, but he knew better than to be her guinea pig. Once she removed the charm, he bolted away, making her chase after him. "Wait! You didn't taste them yet!" He refused to taste-test those, so he kept running away. "They're safe! I myself ate some before!" - Back to where the 'candies' were left, a certain woman saw the ruckus and got curious. **_{So that young girl made these, how interesting~}_** Luckily for Mamizou, Kuno was around to be a target. **{Here.}** She shoved the treat into his mouth and he chewed it by reflex.

... ... *Bam-!* True to Gaara's worries, it did detonate, but it simply made Kuno's cheeks inflate and some smoke escaped his mouth. **{This was a bit weird, but it's quite good.}** Mamizou laughed at the quizzical face of her assistant and made a quick note to ask the blonde witch to make more of these. _**{They make quite a nice practical joke.}**_ She knew that Marisa wouldn't hurt her son on purpose, she wasn't that depraved like some unscrupulous mages. The tanuki looked out of the window and saw the boy on a sand cloud being chased by a girl on a broom. _**{How would you have ended up like if you stayed in Suna?}**_ Marisa was truly stubborn, tearing down the walls he kept trying to put around himself and presenting him to new people.

* * *

Naruto woke up in the middle of the night with the urge to urinate. _"Bathroom was..."_ He hobbled off the bed and went for the slippers, his sleepy mind trying to conjure the location of the intended goal. _"Why is this place so big?"_ He stifled a few yawns as he walked unsteadily, avoiding the obviously expensive vases and suits of armor, who knew what a misstep could bring. *Plin~* The Namikaze froze on his tracks, was that a wind chime? _"Maybe I'm close to the windows, today was windy after all. Or there is a maid around."_ Blue eyes rose to inspect the hallway. "... shit." No window nor fairy on sight, just walls, gaudy vases, and tapestries. Conclusion: the same ghost from the library was after him again. He ran full tilt to the bathroom, slamming the door shut. He looked around, no ghosts nor floating things. "Whew..." He did his business and washed his hands, then went to check his teeth on the mirror. "Uh?"

There was a girl behind him! He could only see part of her head and torso from his position, seeing the twisted smirk. "Who are you‽" But once he faced her location, nothing to see. She had faded like morning chills. Naruto began sweating buckets, there was a bonafide entity after him, for sure. *Giggle...* The voice rang close to his ears, sending a jolt of fear down his spine. "Run, little prey~" He didn't need to be told twice, kicking the door open and rushing to where Menma slept. The infernal chime and mocking giggles followed each step he took, making his body react by sending discharges of adrenalin. He prayed with his entire soul that Menma could help him with the apparition, otherwise, his heart might give out. Sometimes, once he turned a corner, there was a sight of a single but huge scarlet eye staring at him from the darkness, making him run the other way.

Soon even Naruto started to tire, so his pace decreased down to a walk as he gripped his chest. He was also lost like a blind dog in the middle of a battlefield. "Uh... Anyone?" He walked down the hall and saw a girl in the distance, so he took his chance and jogged towards her, briefly noticing the many mirrors. He tried to reach for her shoulder but his hand went through her as if she was a mirage, then his eyes fell on the wall mirror, where only his figure was reflected. **G.H.O.S.** **T.** He turned around and saw the giggling blonde girl, unable to see her eyes or legs while a kind of mist wafted from her body. " **▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!** " A primal and irrational fear showed itself in the shape of a long shriek filled with terror, as its holder fell on his back, starting to foam at the mouth. The scream alerted the entire mansion, not an easy feat.

* * *

Menma and Kushina rose from their beds and ran out, going to check on Karin, only to find her pawing at her glasses on the stand. "Hah? You just woke up?" The girl grabbed the seeing aid and had a quizzical look. "Who screamed?" The Uzumakis made a quick headcount, only to exclaim in realization. "Ah..." Menma sighed in exasperation. "What did that idiot do now?" Karin found the blond easily with her senses, only to feel bad for him, as he was fainted and twitching with fear. Menma slapped his twin awake, hearing what made Naruto end up like this, at least he had gone to the bathroom beforehand. "Let's see the Lady, maybe she knows who spooked you." At this, the sound of chasing, loud hisses, and screams graced their ears. "Nevermind that." Menma was deadpan, managing to hear more details thanks to being a kitsune. "Let's go see her, she caught the culprit."

Remilia was holding a blonde girl around Naruto's age by the dress, looking like a mother cat with a ruddy kitten. The girl was facing away from the Uzumakis, hissing at the woman and trying to escape the grip. The Scarlet had a frown and was arguing with the girl in their language, having a ping-pong match of screams. "Wow, they are really gearing for a fight." Menma was laughing with mirth, as he was the only one able to understand the familial squabble. "Enough! You WILL say that you're sorry!" Remilia grabbed the girl by the sides, turned her around, and plopped her in front of Naruto, holding her still. "Go on, I can wait." The girl had a snarl and futilely tried to pry herself off the hold, only to give up in moments.

* * *

 **The betrayal will happen, but I might present the trigger in a different way, stay tuned.**

 **About Gaara's bit, I wanted to write the joke of shady but tasty food for quite a while and show his fans that he turned out alright. Also, sneak peek under.**

* * *

*Buho-!* Menma and Remilia spat out the salty tea, cringing at the taste. "Where are the culprits?" A pair of laughs incensed them, making veins throb in their temples. _"Those two pranksters..."_ They gave chase to the blondies for this stunt, snarls on their faces and red eyes glowing with anger. "Oh shit, run!"


	34. Chapter 32

The first thing Naruto noticed was the contrasting eye colors, red and blue, it was something rare and interesting. Then he heard the grudging apology incited by the adult vampire. "Don't sweat it, you gave me quite the good scare." He grinned, being mirrored with a fanged smile. "Now that it's settled, go back to bed, you will need the rest." The Uzumakis were yawning and thanked the chance to resume their sleep. "You know, can we talk tomorrow?" Naruto saw the girl nod before he got escorted to his room. Nobody noticed the smirk held by the magician but her familiar, she had seen something interesting~

-In the morning-

Menma was going towards the dining room when he saw a certain girl setting a trap onto her aunt's room, a pot full of seeds rigged to be spilled once the door opened. _"Some things never change."_ The urge to count that had varying degrees of severity all across the vampire populace. She must have one of the milder ones, as she wasn't trying to do it with the pot's contents. Odd eyes were fixated on him, daring him to snitch. **{I saw nothing, I'll go get my breakfast, bye.} -** The scream of frustration was the sign the prank worked along with the giggling girl who ran past him. He had a small premonition, and if she were to amplify his twin's tendencies for pranks? **{Well, damn.}**

It was a simple affair if you disregarded the massive frown of annoyance on the Lady and the wine glass that was obviously made of some metal to withstand her current mood. Sakuya served the food and refilled the tea with ease, briefly speaking with the guest if they directed word to him. Menma spoke with Remilia of some yōkai affairs in their language, leaving his relatives to inquire the researcher about their routine for the day. Naruto had to sharpen his mind, Kushina wanted to regain her previous fitness, and Karin had decided to stay in the mansion to learn from the mage.

* * *

Sasuke had seen the yōkais mingle slowly with humans, remembering the time in Nami. _"They all hold so much power in their bodies..."_ The Uchiha needed to be strong, to make his hatred grow deeper and blacker so it could impact his brother. He had to do it so his brethren could live in peace, to let the kids and his mother live without fear. Mikoto had expressed her worries over the seal, urging him to seek help, but he had avoided bringing more attention to it, vaguely telling her that it had been taken care of. He would try to get those creatures to give him power, the humans weren't helping him by denying the instruction he deserved.

Kerberos, the brother of Orthros, the one who almost killed Sasuke and made him unlock his sharingan. That man was comparable to the Hokage in strength, so the Uchiha had sought him so as to receive some sort of guidance. The hellhound was munching on some nikumanjū in a park when he sighted blue clothing. _**{That boy...}**_ He watched as the kid stood before him with a proud countenance, there was zero humility in his action even though he was the one about to ask for a favor. "What do you want?" The man threw the last bite in his mouth, red eyes flashing as he glimpsed the other side. "Train me. I need to be strong so I can kill someone."

The dog was no idiot, he had heard the tales, from living and dead mouths, but this had nothing to do with him. _**{Besides that... this soul is far too tainted... is he one of them?}**_ Runaway spirits, they evaded the rivers and shinigamis, reincarnating without paying their dues. Some were good, but most were cesspools of utter wickedness that could make even the Cerberus gag. "Sorry, my techniques are such that only I can use them, a kekkei genkai of sorts if you prefer." He saw the tomoes flash into existence for a second, with the shadow of... something behind. _**{That thing... such malice...}**_ A being full of miasma must have influenced this soul every time it reincarnated, as the evil was closely matched. But he couldn't reap this life... yet.

* * *

Kushina was training with the wyrm with her chains, sparring so as to take away the rust, as her new body was unforged by her previous life. Meiling combined grace and power, skill and brawl, she was a challenging opponent comparable to the Hyuga with her ability to pinpoint the exact place of her foe, countering flawlessly even under the Kirigakure jutsu made by the Uzumaki. Like with the Onis, there were high stakes for a human to fight head-on with draconids, with their force and claws. But Meiling knew how much to hold back, so her blows only left bruises, not mangled bits. Because the wyrm could make her bony scales surface to block strikes, Kushina had to use weapons so as to not be left with injured hands.

Sakuya was a different story, for his physical level was close to regular humans, but he was fast, reminding Kushina of her husband's Hiraishin, although he used a different method. Time control, he could freeze his surroundings for a while, usually a few seconds so as to spare his stamina, preparing traps she had to make supreme effort to avoid. "Tch-! Ow!" She always ended up like she went through a grinder against him, for he used his metal feathers as throwing knives, being from a Stymphalian breed of tengus. "May I?" Kushina flinched as the man put disinfectant on her nicks and put bandages.

The pair was clearly intimate in Kushina's eyes, and the kid that chased Meiling was the proof. Even though they stayed separate and acted professional, there was affection and love. It made her feel nostalgy for the time with Minato and guilt for missing a decade of her twin's lives. Then she wondered about the girl of yesternight and her parents. Remilia did make an offhand remark about how her sister was out with her husband. This place had an initially oppressive and imponent aura, but now she could feel the underlying warmth, everybody here cherished each other. The master treated her servants better than some families did with their members.

* * *

Minato was standing before a window in his office, looking into the distance, wondering about his family. _"Kushina, take care... I don't want to lose you again."_ Naruto had advanced farther than he thought, the reports stated that his twins managed to figure his Rasengan by themselves, and the blond now held the scroll that was once thought of as a myth. It was rare for someone to manage to visit that realm through the summoning contract, usually, they were stuck with a small poll of creatures to call and never met Mokou. A man entered the room. "Jiraiya." "Hokage-sama." The door and windows were closed, privacy seals briefly glowing.

"What have you discovered?" The sage scratched his head, sighing heavily. "The Red Dawn has a bigger scope than I thought." They started as a revolutionary party for Ame, but that was long ago. "They are taking many dangerous missions from Iwa and the lesser nations, yet they rarely fail." Iwa was the most critical to get intel, given the hostility still lingering. And this group had unknown ambitions, they might become a future danger. Like with Suna, who had once been relegated as a lesser priority for Intel, yet came to try and invade Konoha, they couldn't afford sloppiness. The Gama Sannin blamed himself for not seeing how the Kaze Daimyō was relocating missions and weakening his own village, maybe they could have prevented Orochimaru's tempting offer.

"Itachi said that it's difficult to sneak out information, because of one of them, and that they rarely meet in person with each other or the leader." The Konoha mole had stepped into a swamp, where a wrong move could get him killed by his 'allies'. The sage was trying to find out everything about all the members, but for now, the only defining trait was that they were all nukenin with high notoriety. "Still, we must keep them under check, they might become a danger for this continent if we let them run rampant." Minato had received not-so-subtle hints to tighten his surveillance towards other nations, with tengus sometimes offering intel in exchange for favors.

"Still, I wonder how they do it. They find some things before even me." The usual gossip and market fluctuation was one field that those yōkais excelled in scrutinizing, but the more sensitive info didn't escape their eyes either. Birth rate, mission success/failure rate, potential allegiances recently made, village stats, nothing escaped their watchful eyes. They knew the value of their intelligence, for the prices shown to Minato weren't cheap. "We're in an arms race against them, we can't let them dictate the song our land must follow." Jiraiya had a smarting pride, so he decided to help Minato neutralize the Red Dawn before the yōkai did. The village may have welcomed them, but it was still a human nation at its core.

* * *

Naruto had been reading a more complicated book, furrowing his brows and glaring at the pages. "Want some help?" He looked up, the vampire girl was hanging on the top of a bookshelf. "Yes." She landed beside him. "By the way, my name's Naruto." Her bright eyes twinkled with mischief and cheerfulness. "I'm Katherine, but call me Kate." She looked over the subject of the book and began explaining it to him, receiving a thankful smile. - The pair of blondes established a friendship where he would tell her of the ninja lifestyle while she helped him comprehend the stuffy books given for study. - "By the way, how did you do those tricks?" Naruto watched as the girl's hand became mist before reforming. Then she gave him two small mirrors, she wasn't reflected on one of them. "I can't be seen on silver surfaces, that comes with being a vampire." Naruto noticed how she didn't explain that creepy chime, but it could be left for later.

She had helped him develop a new insight on yōkai, adding to what he knew from interacting with the two previous groups and with his brother. There was almost no difference between the races. Both could be selfish, both could be selfless, the bad and the good things could be done by either side, depending on their morals. It was a simple fact, but sometimes it was easier to simply brand what was unknown or from the opposing side as evil and wrong. It was hard to admit that the world wasn't as clear-cut as his academy days led him to believe. Maybe, if his brother hadn't been one of them, Naruto would have grown to hate yōkai and blame them for the evils of the world. Even in his own village, there might be evil people who plotted to do harm unto others...

"Can I see one of those phoenixes?" She got curious about the summon and watched as he readied for it. "Eh- Atchoo!" As the fairies were dusting the place, some got in his nose and distracted him. Result? Instead of a macaw-sized bird with pretty feathers, he got a big honking griffin who ended up toppling some bookshelves with its hippo-like heft. "... Did you intend for this?" Godric was staring at his master as a certain mage came closer, rapidly chanting an entrapment spell to keep the animal put. "I heard your talk... Do this again and you all will be my guinea pigs~" Three shuddered at the aberrant visage that promised madness, only able to squeak out a 'yes' until she went away. "She's creepy..." Kate could only agree while the griffin fled back to his realm, scared of the crazy researcher.

* * *

Warashi was minding his own business in the apartment when a crow landed on the windowsill. **_{What's on today?}_** Every subscriber could choose which kind of articles they preferred, and in his case, it was economics and world news. Lately, he had been hearing of a group of S-rank nukenin who kept trying to catch yōkai for the black market. The Tengus and Ratatoskr would have none of that and were doing their goddamn best to find every hideout so they could smoke the criminals out for an elimination group to erase them. But some targets had specific traits: tanukis, catpeople, kappas, kakuen, centaurs, slugs, giant insects, minotaurs, and kitsune.

One thing would be obvious for those who knew a certain group, the Red Dawn were after the Bijū and probably mistook these people as humans warped by their chakra. **_{Kurama, you better take care.}_** And the man knew what the Bijū entailed, it was part of a legend that most in the yōkai continent knew almost by heart, spread by Hamura as a small guarantee. The Jūbi... "Why the scary face?" He looked up at raven hair and rose eyes. "It seems that my guild is passing by some financial issues, as there was an attack by monsters on a big filial." Kurenai was unable to read the language, it scrambled itself under her sight, but the photo of a large boar with people fighting it corroborated his words. _"Are you trying to not make me worry?"_ Oh well, he was entitled to his secrets and she to hers.

"Well, I'm sure that Boss will be able to solve it." Then he flipped to a page with the photo of a masked dancer holding fans. "Oh! She's going to make a new tour?" The Yūhi scanned the female with pale lavender hair, peeking at her eager boyfriend. "Heh, I should reserve a pair of tickets for us, her performances are truly entrancing, even more with this band." She was surprised to see his face look like a kid admiring a new toy. "These guy's performances are unforgettable, I hope you like it." Everybody from his continent had attended at least one event from this troupe, they had several subgroups that sometimes livened up a festival or ceremony.

* * *

Karin thanked Menma in her mind for giving her the opportunity to be mentored by Patchouli, the guidance was one she had yearned for and the Uzumaki was growing steadily. Her training on seals had also progressed at a prodigious pace, as even Kushina got surprised at how she absorbed the theory and managed to covert it to reality. Patchouli had once spoken of those who are born to be mages or researchers, despite coming from battle-oriented families. This made sense for her, as she wasn't one for physical confrontation, assassination, or mind games. Her role on a battlefield would be more supportive, as her master did with Remilia and the household in skirmishes with rival families. One second she could keep the enemy trapped was one her allies could use for a beatdown, or she could prepare a devastating technique while the others guided the enemy towards it.

The girl caught the Knowledge with a smirk and inquired her. "Have you head of a certain red string?" Her eyes widened at that, was her master implying that...? "Mukyu... This spell can be a bit cumbersome for the sight, but it makes for a nice hidden joke sometimes." Karin received a simple chant and used it, seeing a faint line with a light red color around her that ended at arm's length. "Can you see something different between us?" Patchouli's string was dark red and went to the distance instead, it meant she had already found her other half. "Oh. How convenient, look there." Naruto was being carried by Kate, she was much faster and knew her way around the mansion, as a furibund Menma chased after them, rainbow-colored hair waving wildly.

The kitsune had a thick shackle around his neck with an equally sturdy chain going towards Konoha, being such a deep scarlet coloring that was bordering on black. "True soulmates, those whom even the rivers of the afterlife can't separate." Only a handful of people had these on them, and all those Patchouli saw were from a certain group, and the mage already had an idea of who the other half of Menma was. "Are you curious about your bond, my dear pupil?" Karin couldn't lie, she really was itching to find that mysterious person. "But keep one thing in mind, you may fall for another girl, you may hate your other half, and there might be a huge age difference."

* * *

 **Forgive me if this chapter isn't up to par.**

 **Red string exposition: in this fic, one can choose their other half to a degree, for some are really set in stone. If one hasn't found their mate and starts feeling attraction for someone who is also unbounded, there's a chance their strings become linked and then reinforce the now mutual attraction until it becomes love.  
**

 **About the Phoenix summonings: they all came from eggs rescued and hatched by Mokou lo~ng ago, as their parents either abandoned them or got killed, they ended up taking some of her fire in their bodies, getting the rebirth by flames, but it's limited and must be refilled, or they might die for real. That's why you see Naruto summoning a griffin.**

 **P.s.: the one who figures out Katherine's father might get a little prize, for her mother is Flandre. But put your guess in a review/P.M. so I can check it.**

 **P.p.s.: I put Red Dawn because of Akatsuki, the girl, she will appear in the future with Hibiki.**


	35. Chapter 33

Naruto had been hanging with Katherine in the gardens when he saw something curious thanks to her backless dress. It was a magical circle with twin lines inside and diamond shapes with the rainbow's colors. The way the lines looked reminded him of his own seal, his whiskers, and the crest on his hand. Have you heard of how curiosity killed the cat? Well, the Namikaze couldn't resist and touched her back, for he wanted to see if it felt like his marks. It ended up with something appearing too fast for him to see, striking his face and torso hard enough to send him flying headfirst into a pile of leaves that Kōya was setting up to be burned. **{What the heck‽}** The little wyrm saw him fly here from the other side of the garden.

Spitting out some leaves, the blond came out with a pained bump and reddened welts. "What hit me?" His ears perked up at the soft ringing, Kate landed close to them, enabling him to see her wings. The crystals clashed lightly with some of her movements, letting out those chiming sounds. "It was you‽" Kōya turned to the vampire, getting the unspoken story. "So that's why the Lady was chasing you that night. You never learn, uh?" Naruto heard nothing, fixated on the wings that twinkled in the light. "They look so cool, I'd love to have wings too..." She playfully twirled for the Namikaze, making the crystals play a tune. "Wanna come with me for a night stroll?" He couldn't have accepted faster, too eager to find out how it felt to fly, not even minding the pain of the smack.

Kōya offered some balm for the pain, grumbling at the need to regather the debris and making the pair stay away. "Don't send him flying again, Kate." Naruto followed the vampire for their reading sessions, building expectations for the promised night wandering. "Hey, can you tell me how it feels like?" The girl turned slightly, smiling with mischief. "It's something you need to experience in person, explaining takes away the fun." He pouted at that, but relented, for she could be as bullheaded as him when she didn't want to talk. Oh well, at least the reading material this time was about the other continent's monsters, one of his favorite subjects. "I want to hunt one of those." He had even seen some recordings of the mansion members' excursions to hunt one of those magnificent creatures.

* * *

Team 8 was on an escort mission, setting up camp for the day. Hinata had gone hunting when her byakugan caught something. _"Tengus?"_ She barged in and grabbed the two birds who were around a little wolf. **{Eek-! Ōryū-sama!}** Hinata was identical to her previous incarnation, being swiftly recognized by the adults, who had even met her in the flesh decades ago. Mamizou had sent word of a pair of crows who ended taking a puppy with them, her clan just wanted news as to whether she was safe and alive. **{Mind answering some questions?}** Sitting in seiza, the tengus and wolf waited for her to speak, Aya and Hatate were shuddering in their skirts, dragons were the one group one avoided setting off the most. Pale eyes caught the fan on the Shameimaru's hip. **{So you found the lost treasures of the Rikudō...}**

Momiji offered the scroll to Hinata, having felt the scent of a domineering race wafting from her, tail firmly tucked between her legs. Hinata took the item and confirmed the authenticity, putting it away. **{Very well, why did you go clandestine?}** It was strange to see a pair of adult females do their goddamned best to explain their motives while bidding to every deity that this dragon wouldn't punish them. Aya knew that the Bashōsen was highly coveted, and she didn't want to share, having taken dibs on it. **{Please, forgive us...}** They all bowed deeply in apology, not minding dirtying their foreheads. Hinata sighed, and patted their heads, making them get up. **{I'll put in a word in your favor, just don't cause problems for others. Okay?}** Although this was said with a smile, the tengus felt the intent behind along with the clawed pinch on their cheeks.

Kurenai almost broke her facade of excellent jōnin at the sight of her pupil returning with two winged females and a wolf dragging a deer along. The new trio looked like whipped puppies towards Hinata. "They can stay, but..." The Yūhi wondered what happened in the woods, for the tengus looked like they had a noose around their necks and acted like they feared the girl she knew as sweet and caring. - Kiba cared not for any of that, focused on Momiji who was cleaning the deer. His canine instincts made him turn smitten with the girl that was clearly a capable hunter. Shino hid a scoff, recalling how his teammate provoked him when he was around Fū. Once their positions were right, the Aburame landed a swift kick to the Inuzuka's rear, sending him into her arms. Then Shino took distance to enjoy the show.

The merchant they were supposed to guide to the Iwa borders, Kaworu, was staring at the yōkai, having heard of them. "Excuse me." He tapped the one with long twin tails, getting a look of annoyance. "Er... May I trouble you with my questions?" The pair sweated, glancing at Hinata. **{We should stay mum about some things, so don't mess up.}** Aya earned a stomp to the shin, which was made worse thanks to the single tooth geta. **{We're here because of you, bastard!}** Kaworu watched them bicker in another language, but he could tell that they were hurling insults at each other. The sound of a cleaver through bone made everybody look at the culprit, a Hinata with an innocent smile. The merchant saw the tengus sweat buckets and cease the fight. "Ask away, just don't ask about private things."

* * *

Once it was night, Naruto had gone to where the vampires were. "Nii-san, you're going too?" Menma was standing by the females with a bored face. "But how, nii-san?" The redhead stepped on thin air, clouds appearing on his soles. "Once a fox becomes a yōkai, they can walk on air." Well, those who were under 5 tails would find this way of travel too tiring to be used casually, but the guy had 9 and the stamina of a gargantuan creature. The blond twin got grabbed by Remilia. "Ah?" Kate was still too small to carry someone along, so he would have to hitch a ride with her aunt. - Jiraiya got ramrod straight, surprising Minato. "What?" The sage began crying all of a sudden. "The gaki must be fulfilling one of the dreams of a pervert!" - Naruto was blushing a storm while his brother smirked. **"Enjoying the cushions?"** Even Kurama began taunting his vessel.

Shadowy wings unfurled to its full span, awing the boy with their draconic look. "Shall we depart?" Naruto had only a moment to steel his mind, for they took off fast, reaching a phenomenal height in minutes. - Blue eyes widened at the sight, being free of Gaia's confines felt exhilarating and the new perspective was impressive. The moonlight made the water bodies glow softly and the landscape stretched far and wide. "This is awesome!" Menma smiled at his brother's glee. "Now I really want to know how to fly." They could understand Naruto's emotions, the first flight was a life-changing act, and they could never get enough from this feeling of freedom. The redhead looked towards Konoha, wishing he could share this moment with his mate, golden eyes becoming slightly duller. _**{I should invite her, next time.}**_

Katherine hovered by her aunt, facing Naruto. "Once you find your wings, let's go for a stroll, okay?" The boy took the promise, wondering if a certain phoenix could aid him in this endeavor. Remilia and Menma just watched the blondes interact, they seemed lost in each other, chatting as if their relatives weren't around. _**{I'm happy for you. May this last forever...}**_ - _"Hm, I got to call him soon, it's almost ready."_ A parliament hooted into the darkness, overseeing a figure who held something that glimmered under the moonlight. _"I hope my instincts aren't wrong. Will you be the next Fenghuang Sennin, Naruto?"_

* * *

It was time for the Uzumakis to return, without Karin. "Lil' cousin, don't go and get yourself killed, okay?" She tussled his wild hair as Kate leaned on her shoulder. "You did promise to visit us, so don't you dare die." Naruto smiled at the pair, he wouldn't go back on his word. **_{Oi, ya'll be dropping death flags like confetti...}_** Some of the adults and the other twin were left with an ill omen, wondering what the Namikaze just spurred for his future. Remilia kept her mouth shut about what she just glimpsed, she didn't want to crush the heartwarming scene, but she would tell at least Menma about it. This time their ride would be Meiling, as the last service for their guests.

-Some hours later-

Kotetsu was about to drink his tea when he saw the rippling. _"Uh-oh... this doesn't look good..."_ Izumo was looking to the road and his face was turning paler with each second. "Fuck..." The head of a crocodilian creature could be spotted, making the duo fear for Konoha and themselves. - **{You can stop here, any closer and I think the gate guys will stain their underwear.}** Menma had tapped Meiling, making her cease. **{Okay then. Take care, all of you.}** The Uzumakis dropped down and the wyrm went back. - The pair of men had been sweating buckets until they saw the thing double down and return, heaving sighs of relief. "Yo, we're back." They screamed in surprise at the sudden voice, making Kushina feel bad for scaring them.

Menma had separated from the group, going to the Hyūgas to see if his companion was there, not knowing she was out. Kushina went with Naruto to report in person to Minato, giving some extra details that weren't on the scrolls sent until now. "So Karin is with them... I'm just glad that you're all safe." The Yondaime let himself forgo his status this time, taking his wife and son in a tight embrace. "Naruto, we'll have to talk later, okay?" The blondes shared a hard look, but the boy nodded. - Menma was drinking some canned tea when he heard someone approach him, it was the Uchiha. "Naruto is at the tower, go there if you want to talk." Sasuke just grunted, staring at the redhead. "What, I'm not homosexual, so stop with that look." The genin grabbed the chūnin by the shirt, openly glaring.

"Train me, I'll show you that I'm better than the dobe." The Uzumaki had an unreadable look, intimidating the Uchiha. "Just so you know, this training is chakra intensive, to the point that only my clan can survive going through it." No way in hell that he would train someone who reeked of the same stench as Madara. "Besides, you got the best jōnin of the village to train you." He undid the grip and went away, patting his clothes clean. Sasuke scowled, all those he recognized as powerful refused to train him, how was he supposed to kill his brother if he was to stay powerless? The whispers from the seal were tempting, Naruto grew under the loyal sage, so he could take the guidance of the traitorous one. _"He knew that this place is only a hindrance... that's why he turned away... I should do the same..."_

* * *

 **Time to go back to the boring missions... Which one should I do this time? And I get so damn irked when people use 'Fennikusu' instead of searching an appropriately similar creature in Asian legends, like the Garuda or the Fenghuang. Fuck Google Translation, use other mediums to find fitting names.  
**

 **Here vampires follow the MGEverse rule: Sun=human level of body condition; Rain=horniness to give and sell; Garlic=lewd trigger; only blood received a tweak, they get excited only with the blood of the one their consider their partner. Will this be relevant later? ... Maybe~**

 **On unrelated news, at my job, I found a person whose surname was -Loser-, like, for real.**


	36. Chapter 34 - Snow Country Mission

The prospective Hokage woke up with a bright face, eager to train with his team after the time away. "I'll show the teme that I'm not to be underestimated." As always, the jōnin got to the grounds later than his pupils, but Naruto didn't care, for he had been memorizing the many bird's names that he could use in the battlefield, mainly the large build ones and those with elements that he didn't master yet. He was the best with Fūton, but he had an affinity for Raiton as well, taking after his father. Sakura had been staring at him for some reason, but he ignored it until Kakashi arrived. - The Haruno had braced for another date request when she saw Naruto, but he passed by her and sat under the tree, pulling an album of birds. "Aren't you going to ask me out?" The boy tilted his head.

"Don't you dislike that?" She gaped at that, then harrumphed with a frown, glancing at Sasuke, who had his gaze fixed on his male teammate. "Come, Tayou!" Naruto had slammed his hand on the ground, creating a plume of smoke. Sakura had braced for one of those disgusting amphibians. "Er, sorry, Mokou-san." A female with long silver hair and fiery wings was standing on the clearing, making the kids stare in surprise. "Make an effort until you get it down, but you can summon me if the situation calls for it." The raven-hair went for the blond after the woman went back, grabbing his lapels. "Let me sign that contract." Naruto had an awkward smile. "It's a clan summon, only Uzumakis have permission to call her guys." Sasuke frowned, once again he got a source of power right in front of him, yet he couldn't take it for himself. "Tch-! Whatever, something from you must be rubbish, anyway."

Sakura saw the decline in mood in her idol and glared at the culprit. Now Naruto was left alone on one side of the clearing as the duo kept themselves to the other. That was the scene Kakashi saw, which made him sigh in dejection at the regression of his pupils. "I see that we need to do the teamwork drills again. What a pity." - After exhausting his pupils, the jōnin took them to the Hokage to see if there was a mission they could take soon. "Actually, yes. A man came here to get help with his actress." Minato showed them the picture of a woman. "Ain't that Princess Gale?" Team 7 was to escort Fujikaze Yukie to Yuki, serving as additional security, departing within two days.

* * *

A woman with dark red hair overlooked the people, standing on the balcony while dressed with those white garbs that displayed her new authority. A masked figure stood protectively by her, a large sword strapped to his back. "It's done, Yagura is no more." Mei had doubts about that, for the man had fallen from a cliff into the sea. _"Could the Sanbi enable him to survive?"_ Besides, it had been the product of a plan hatched by that sinister monster, the mindflayer. Until where the Terumi knew, the creature was just playing with them, using them to entertain herself. "People of Kiri, the Blood Purges are no more." She took in a deep breath. "I, Terumi Mei, promise to recover this land to its former glory as your Mizukage!"

The villagers cheered, for Yagura had put them under a reign of fear where anyone could die just by looking at a ninja wrong. The holders of kekkei genkai didn't need to watch their back with paranoia, for their new leader was one of them. What they didn't know was that the revolt had been aided by inhuman beings. Mei continued her speech to rouse the masses and soothe their worries. - A single red eye gazed at the scene from the shadows. "What's the matter~?" A sleek tentacle grazed dark hair before passing through as if the person was a mirage. "How did you-!" A lazy smirk unfolded, baring fangs. "This territory now belongs to us~" The man faced the many creatures that seemingly sprouted from the dark as if birthed by it. Tobi, the secret leader of Red Dawn decided that attempting to face unknown variables was a useless effort, so he slinked away into a portal.

 **{Did you tag that worm?}** It had been just a wisp of muck imbued with some chakra, but it was enough. It would passively feed on him and mingle with his hair, unseen, giving the outer being the general feel of his location. **{Kuhaha~ It shall be fun to witness the hunt for those critters~}** Although these creatures saw themselves as being existences diverse from the usual yōkai, they shared the underlying disdain for the inferior mankind. Until the great dragon deity came to stomp them back to the void, they would explore the ample amount of livestock. **{Shall we celebrate, my dear kindred?}** Their urges were more than satisfied by the sentenced criminals given to them, but they had desires for fresh, tender minds.

* * *

Naruto was about to lay for sleep when the scenery changed from his bedroom to a certain altar and starry sky. "Mokou-san?" He sat up and faced the albino. The woman looked at him with a smirk. "Do you like gifts?" His eyes sparkled, recalling the flight with the vampires. "Is it wings? Are you gonna give me the power to fly? Please, say it's it!" The Fujiwara was surprised, his guess was partially correct. "So you tasted it, well... It's more like a marker of a future sage, and you won't fly just yet." Naruto deflated, falling on his bum while a depressed aura surrounded him, that is until he processed the 'yet'. "Can you explain?" She raised a hand, a ball of light silver fire that looked like solidified moonlight flickered softly.

"Here." She threw it to the boy, who took it with a slight fumble. "It's warm." It was akin to laying on the grass and letting the sun wash over you, or sitting by a bonfire during a chilly night. It felt pleasant and comforting, then he noticed that the ball was shrinking as if his body was taking it in. "It's a portion of my flames, I entrust it to you." He felt a hand messing with his hair. "Once you get used to each other, you will get your wings, that you so desire. Then, we shall start your training to become a sage." He looked up to Mokou, eyes shining with untold gratitude. "Now I can fulfill my promise to Kate..." The woman smiled, his voice had a hidden tone that spoke so much. "Good to know, best of luck to you, my summoner. Now, go home."

* * *

Team 8 had returned with three additional people, two of which would go back to their continent to beg for forgiveness from their superiors for shirking their duties, while the kid would stay in Konoha, making a certain Inuzuka mushy from happiness. Hinata had sent a message to the Daitengu, giving Aya permission to keep the Bashōsen, earning her an avian who almost cried with gratitude and had held her in a hug for the good part of a day. The remainder of the tools would stay with the Hyūga until contact was made with Kumo, seeing how she was indirectly related to their creator. Kurenai had been slightly nervous as to whether the merchant would react badly, but until they dropped the man off, he had engaged in an interesting conversation with the tengus.

They had turned in the report, with the Inuzukas welcoming a new member in their midst. Shino got ambushed by a certain jinchūriki and dragged away. Kurenai just wanted to sleep in her bed to de-stress. Hinata went to search for Menma, finding him sending his brother off. "Was that the actress of Princess Gale?" Golden eyes glinted with a pleasant surprise. "Yes, he was quite eager for the chance of getting an autograph." She giggled, knowing how the blond could turn obsessed for some things. "It reminds me of him, Naruto is almost like him." Menma huffed at the idea, then smiled. "Let's catch up on our lives?" He extended a hand, which she took. "I missed you." "Me too, so... How was your mission?"

The couple was sitting on the Hokage Monument, enjoying the slight breeze and each other's company. "It's nice to know that there's more acceptance for yōkai, as little it may be." Hinata had been an enforcer, controlling the creatures so they wouldn't wipe all the humans, making them learn co-existence. For now, she couldn't do the same here, for she was still weak. "And you said that Naruto found Mokou?" The pair reminisced about things that happened so long ago that felt almost like dreams. "I hope the little dork stays safe, but knowing his luck, I think he will run into ninjas from some nation and pick a fight with their leader." Menma had a sullen expression that didn't last long under the loving cuddles of his girlfriend. "I think that his luck will also keep him safe, don't worry."

* * *

The travel group was in an inn to let Sandayū and Yukie rest, all while digesting the fact that the actress was actually the heir of Yuki. "That guy Doto sounds like a bastard..." Naruto wondered how he would react if his father was to get taken down by a similar person. "Are we going to help them, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura thought about the dangers they were about to face, fearful of the enemies. "It's a chance to obtain more allies for our country. I expect you to be in your best shape." Naruto was silent, politics were still a complicated theme for him. "Well, I've already shown her to my summons, so if things go south, we'll have extra help." But it wasn't as if Doto would use an aerial transport just to take away the princess.

A raucous laughter hit Naruto's ears. "Ergh, can't those drunkards moderate themselves?" Sakura had a frown, but the blond went out. The other two kids decided to follow him, as this was unusual for him to do. "Yo! I just knew you guys were here!" Five females were in sight, two he knew not. "Yo, gaki-chan, did you come get another pummeling?" Their horns were hidden, but the rest was the same, like those happy grins. "Not yet, I just wanted to see you guys. By the way, who are they?" A blonde and a brunette were gazing at him with a strange emotion. "Heh, we got that beansprout with a bet, now she needs to win another to drop us off her back." Yuugi saw the little pair by the door.

"Come here, pipsqueaks." Sakura stared at one of them. "That's Tsunade of the Sannin! What an honor!" Naruto had a bored face. "Knowing Ero-sennin, she got some nasty habit." Kasen laughed, patting his back. "How right you are, she tried to win a drinking bet against Suika!" The Senju had a throbbing vein on her neck that reached its limit, so she headbutted the Ibaraki and Namikaze. "Oh./AWCH!" Tsunade was glaring at Naruto for the blatant disrespect, only to get a cheek pinch from the Hoshiguma. "Hey, you won't get your share of sake acting like this, besides, we paid your debts and saved you from that snake." The jinchūriki had heard about the last Senju's habits, so he understood the other reasons for her to be stuck with them.

Naruto turned to the youth holding a pig. "If the obāba is here, you must be Shizune, right?" Another headbutt, one that he dodged, making Tsunade hit Suika and get a headlock in retribution. "Tou-san talked about you two, he really wants you to help with medic training." The Onis stared at the woman, all of them recalling the events that led up here. "Remember that condition? Tsuna-chan?" She scoffed, turning to the wall. "I already told you my stance on that." Yuugi sighed. "Fine, then. But you still have to come with us, we're tagging with them for now." Tsunade almost protested, but the serene stares made her go silent. "Do what you want, I don't care anymore."

* * *

 **Yep, our dear Hinata is going to become quite the big shot in the future. I've recently found Darling in the Franxx and really enjoyed it, the pervy undertones are really nice. And I'm planning some nice action for the next chapter, look below.  
**

* * *

 **Sneak peek:  
**

The Onis saw that there was only one alternative. "Gaki, come here." Yuugi grabbed Kasen, who grabbed Naruto. "Don't bite your tongue." He looked to the two females, confused as heck. "Eh?" Suika, after increasing her size like the Akimichi, grabbed all three and geared up for a throw. "Oni Special, Living Fastball! Is a go!" With a powerful roar, the orange Oni launched them, making the ground crumble under her feet. **  
**


	37. Chapter 35

Kakashi cursed their luck, Doto had managed to ambush them and now held their escort in an aircraft, going towards the capital for the rumored treasure. As for his group, along with Sandayū, they were surrounded by several enemies with strange weapons. The skins of the Oni served as blocks for the humans, as the kunais couldn't penetrate them deeper than the barest sliver of the tip. "Those pieces of junk are annoying!" Tsunade shattered the ground with a punch, providing the yōkai with ample amounts of ammo to assault the army. "Alley-oop!" The cannons were crushed into scraps by the unusual artillery and now the soldiers had to engage in direct battle. Kakashi and Naruto made several clones to even the battlefield, the Konoha ninjas slew the incoming foes without mercy.

The original Namikaze looked at the blimp, wondering how many phoenixes he should send, but the Onis were faster with their plan. "Gaki, come here." Yuugi grabbed Kasen, who had grabbed Naruto. "Don't bite your tongue." He looked to the two females, confused as heck. "Eh?" Suika, after increasing her size like the Akimichi, grabbed all three and geared up for a throw. "Oni Special, Living Fastball! Is a go!" With a powerful roar, the orange Oni launched them, making the ground crumble under her feet. The giant now turned her sights towards the puny humans, who faltered under her murderous glee. "Does your flesh taste good?" - Yuugi, once she felt that they were losing momentum, threw Kasen and Naruto. "Don't waste this chance!" The pink Oni repeated the process, making the whiskered blond land smack-dab on the blimp's envelope. The Onis fell to the ground harmlessly and proceeded to massacre the soldiers, the trio showed why they should be feared.

"Whoa!" He almost fell but stuck himself on the material with chakra. The Namikaze planned fast, climbing up to the top portion. "Okay, I got to take this thing down, but I've got to save Koyuki too." He swished some ideas around until settling for one. "Godric! Gerth!" He called a pair of griffins and ordered them to rip the blimp to shreds. "Mokou!" The woman landed on an aircraft that was starting to lose altitude due to the damage inflicted. "Go get Koyuki, she's inside!" Naruto knew that he alone wouldn't be enough to face the guards and would only end up dead, so he tasked the summon with this duty. "I know you can do it." He now had to get off, mounting Godric and letting Gerth go slaughter the soldiers on the ground.

Mokou almost cursed at her summoner, she didn't expect to be called in these circumstances! Still, she bit the bullet and invaded the falling blimp, searching for Koyuki and not minding the cuts and injuries inflicted on her by the enemy. "Princess!" She had been with her uncle, on the cockpit. Mokou grabbed her and incinerated the wall to the outside, jumping into the freefall while holding the Kazahana bridal style. Large wings extended, stopping their descent. "You're hurt!" Koyuki saw that one of Mokou's eyes had been gouged out by a blade. "Don't worry, what matters here is that you're safe." The Phoenix had a bright smile that made the royalty blush and she hid her face by turning away. The pair watched as the blimp fell and went up in flames. "To be honest, I hope he died there."

* * *

Doto crawled away from the wreckage, covered with wounds but alive. "The treasure of Yuki belongs to me... I'll seize it no matter how..." A shadow came over him and he looked up. A pitch black griffin, Gerth, had his claws bared and a hungry look. "No! I'm the ruler of this coun-!" Bones snapped and blood flowed, the beast had been given the order to neutralize the man, and there was no better way than death. Flesh and skin were ripped off the bone, swallowed with gluttonous pleasure.

* * *

Pinkish eyes opened sluggishly, seeing bubbles float around him. _"Hm... where...?"_ The last thing he knew was that he received a grievous slash to his chest from Zabuza and a sudden gust took him off the cliff into the murky water. He moved to touch his wound, only to feel something akin to clusters of mussels and coral covering it. Then he noticed the feeling of water, he was submerged in it. _"Salty..."_ To be under the ocean, yet to not die... Was this due to the Sanbi? He found himself in a room of sorts, with walls carved from stone, luminescent algae providing light, and holes in place of windows or doors. "Oh, you're awake." A man with the lower half of a leopard eel slinked in from the ceiling, holding a bowl with seaweed and large fish meat slabs. "You must be hungry, here."

The man took the algae and bit off a chunk, knowing he needed sustenance, questions could wait, seeing how he wasn't held prisoner. From what he could see from the outside, he was rescued by marine monsters for some reason. "We did the removal of the foul chakra altering your mind-" He stopped, for Yagura was holding on his necklace. "You said that I was being controlled‽" Fushu was expecting this. "Can you remember what you did to Kiri?" Yagura let go, holding on his head at the memories. "That man... If I ever find him, I'll kill him!" He couldn't fault his village for wanting to get rid of its leader, for he became far too bloodthirsty even for the land known as Chigiri no Sato.

"You should lay low, for now, the world thinks you are dead." He could see sense in that and accepted it. "Can you tell me why I was saved?" Fushu coiled his body around a pillar. "You are the one who holds the husband of my leader." The Katarachi recoiled at that. "So you intend to kill me!" The part eel shook his head. "There are researchers looking into how to unseal a beast without killing the host." Fushu directed his yellow eyes at pink ones. "If they fail, there's no issue in waiting for you to die naturally, for yōkai live much longer than humans." The former Mizukage clicked his tongue, there was no lie in his voice. "Fine... And where are we?" Fushu went for the window. "Ryūgū, the domain of the one who lords over the oceans." There was a Japanese castle in the distance with many shapes going in and out. "Will I be able to train?" The man wondered if he could get a replacement for his weapon, melted by Mei. "As much you want."

* * *

Tsume had welcomed Momiji as if she was a daughter who had returned from a long trip, and the presence of other canid yōkai helped the little wolf feel some familiarity. Some were even related to her to a degree. Hana had a teasing smirk directed at her brother, she could see his infatuation for the wolf. "Did something happen when you were out?" Kiba blushed, Shino's kick enabled him to feel the female body and muscles, poking at his teenage hormones. "Nothing much..." The young adult tilted her head, not buying the lie. "Okay then. I guess that you're spineless, after all." The boy didn't bite the bait, even as his sister began pulling his cheek with that sly face.

They were interrupted by a stampede of ninken, who were gradually becoming cù sidhe as their bodies changed and adapted to the yōki. "Was that Tora?" The poor cat had thought that those dogs would be locked in their pens, but now they had opposing thumbs to open the latch and give chase. "At least they know not to kill the Daimyō's wife's cat." - Kiba had been sparring with his family, so now it was time to hit the private bath. "Hm?" This scent... Momiji was here too! He scrubbed himself down quickly and went for the large onsen, only to stare three heads in the eyes. Kerberos was in the center of the water, but his size helped to block much of the sight field. There were kids climbing up the furry giant to jump into the water.

 _"Tsk- I should have kept my hopes low."_ Then he saw something that made his blood run cold. Tsume and Hana were talking to the girl, and from what he could lip-read, the subject was embarrassing kid stories! _"Fuck my life..."_ He floated in the warm water, holding on one of the many large stones that jutted out. Akamaru, the little traitor, was away and showing off to the newcomers to try and get a cute bitch to look his way, while Kiba had to watch as his relatives burned his image to the ground in front of the girl he liked. - The annoyed boy was using a blow dryer on his hair, muttering about bothersome relatives. "Hey." He turned to face Momiji, she was holding a brush and a towel was wrapped around her. "Can you help me?"

-Bamboo shoot pokes out ⤴-

His face almost caught on fire, this was temptation incarnate! But his survival instincts kicked in, she was better built than him and so could kick his ass six ways to Sunday. "F... fine." Hair and tail, she had her back to him so he could brush them. _"OOOH! This is a blessing!"_ There was a nice scent that wasn't soap, her hair and fur were so smooth, and her muscles showed her diligence in training. All that appealed tremendously to his Inuzuka genes. "That tickles." Her ear twitched at his touch, making him want to tease her. - Kerberos and Hana were watching the kids, one reminiscing and the other smirking. "He is heads-for-heels towards her~"

* * *

Minato was surprised to hear the direction the mission went but considering what happened in their first C-rank... "I'm glad that you all returned safe and sound. And your efforts will surely ensure an allegiance with Yuki, so I must thank you." Sasuke scoffed, even if the Hokage spoke like that, he knew that the bulk of the mission was carried by his idiotic teammate, for Naruto was the one who kept Koyuki safe and got the Onis on their side for the army. "About you and Shizune, may I talk to you in private, Tsunade?" The blonde nodded, a slight frown showing her displeasure. The Senju had been mulling over what the yōkais and the young Namikaze told her.

She didn't want to keep fleeing, it was something she now acknowledged as running counter to everything her loved ones wished for her. How could she face her brother and lover in the afterlife if she stayed like this, a broken mess of a person? "Okay, I decided to cease my extended leave." Team 7 finished up their reports, leaving the pair of peregrines to speak with their leader. Naruto grinned as he looked at the picture in his hands. It depicted Koyuki being carried by a Mokou who had been healed and cleaned from blood splatters, one holding the other like a bride while flying, with beautiful snowy mountains as background, looking like a movie scene. Under was an elegant signature from the actress and behind was a thank-you for his efforts. "Heh, I'm so lucky!"

Kakashi had excused himself to go somewhere, so the trio was free for the day. "Hmm... Let's go for some yakiniku?" Two stares of disbelief at the words that came out from Naruto. "What, you all dislike ramen, so I tried some other option." The group walked to a place owned by Akimichis. "Wait, is that-?" A certain butler rose his steel blue eyes as his little charge broke into a gleeful smile. "Kate, Sakuya!" The girl glomped Naruto in a bear hug, making Sakura frown at the overt affectionate display. "Greetings, Naruto, it's a pleasant surprise to meet you." Because they were too close, the boy couldn't see the sly smirk Kate sent to the pinkette, making a vein bulge.

"What a pity that we can't hang out for today, Aunty gave us a curfew, so we can't stay here too long." Then Naruto recalled one thing. "Hey, remember our promise? I'll be able to complete it real soon." Kate had a soft smile at that, taking his hands in joy. "That's good to know, don't let me down, okay?" Butler and young mistress gave their goodbyes, leaving Naruto alone with his teammates. "Hey, you were awfully chummy with that girl..." Sakura gripped his shoulder tightly. But she let go at the sight of red hair and golden eyes. "So you came back safely." "Nii-san! We fought this army with those Onis and I've got to say that it was really packed with action!" The twins engaged in a discussion about the mission highlights, entering the yakiniku place with the others.

* * *

Sandayū had seen Koyuki acting strangely, so he went to inquire her. "Do you think we could make a production along with Namikaze-san?" The man was surprised, did the boy impress her this much? "I might be able to arrange something once he becomes-" The princess rose from her seat with annoyance. "Not him, his summon!" Sandayū recalled how she had looked like when Mokou landed after the confrontation died down, the tiny Oni even said 'ladykiller lady~'. _"Could it be-!"_ Oh heavens, sometimes she could be a royal pain in the ass. But then he had an idea, and if he were to get yōkais to work for him... He had to hurry before anyone else had the same idea! And he might benefit from possible cinematic techniques developed on the other continent.

* * *

 **Did you like my 'adaptation' of the movie? I'm planning one with that Shion girl in Shippuden, involving Touhou.  
**


	38. Chapter 36

Team 7 had been training together when something happened to Naruto. "Oof-!" He fell on his face thanks to some extra weight on his back. "Why do you have wings‽" Sakura was pointing in shock, there were large appendages attached to his back, seemingly glued on over the cloth. Using the new brain connections to the limbs, Naruto clumsily got up and brought a wing to his sight. Save for the primary and secondary feathers, most of the upper surface was a dark orange with black streaks while the underside was a lighter orange with red markings. As for the flight feathers, they ranged from red, blue, and green, having black tips and shaft. "This is awesome!" Now he could start training with Mokou, as she had promised him. Overall, save for the colors, his wings resembled the golden eagle's limbs.

Sasuke silently pulled off a feather, that made Naruto react with a violent wing slap in his face, for it hurt as much as tearing off a fingernail. The Uchiha barely had time to see the feather fade into a blue wisp before the strike. "You idiot! How dare you hurt Sasuke-kun‽" Naruto cradled the offended limb, still feeling the pain of the removal. "He shouldn't have done that." Sakura had reflexively geared for a punch, but before she hit him, he was whisked away in a plume of white flames. - "Ow!" The blond fell on his ass on the stone altar. "You got those sooner than I expected, congratulations." The woman instructed him on how to move so he could take off, with him starting out with pitiful flapping that did jack-all to lift him. "... Don't fret, train until you get the hang of it." Naruto had climbed a tree, like a fledgling about to fly off. And like one, he ended in a face-plant.

"Are you okay?" Mokou had an expression that mixed worry and amusement at the perfect ninety degrees of a boy planted like a pole. She had to avert her head when he recovered, for his entire face was reddened and smudged with dirt, holding back a laugh. - The boy had at least learned how to make his wings fade away, for they were too cumbersome for his inexperience. "So you really can't teach me how to do that walky thingy?" The blond was facing his twin, bemoaning his lack of skill. Menma had a smile and reminded him that it was a racial skill, only some yōkai could do it. "Keep training, don't you have that promise to fulfill?" Naruto hit the table with his head, his ego had taken a beating earlier. Not even the ramen just delivered could alleviate the sting.

It was similar to when he faced the Onis, they had sparked in him the will to surpass all three and make them stop treating him as a kid. He would dominate the art of flight, he would become comparable to the raptors who danced in the sky. This was a promise to himself, he couldn't fail. "Nii-san." Menma stopped munching on a fried egg. "Yes?" Naruto had a determined smile. "Take me to train in that continent in the future. I want to know that place, it must be amazing!" **"Damn right it is, it's the place we call home, after all."** The blond patted his seal, his brother still had a story he knew not. "Let me arrange some things, I want to invite some people to accompany us."

* * *

Marisa had taken Gaara to one of the Research facilities, where items intended to improve the life of the people were devised and polished. Although he did show interest, it was more of a tour for herself, given how she loved to learn more about magic. He had come to this place from time to time, so as to let the researchers take a look at his seal and think of ways to separate human and Bijū. Shukaku and Gaara had mellowed with the mental therapy and the fact that they were now around people who cherished them, enabling host and inquiline to establish a friendly relationship. "Hey, what are those pills?" The redhead pointed at the Kōsei piled in a bowl. "Oh, those are medicine to make humans become yōkai easily, but I want to become a magician by myself!"

Gaara stared at the round shapes and glanced around, Marisa had distracted herself by asking one of the mages and other people were focusing on their projects. **"Kid, what are you planning?"** The boy was sure that the tanuki was frowning. _"I'll take just one."_ \- The redhead stared at the sphere, unblinking. **"Don't do anything rash, please."** The Ichibi had come a long way, going from making an effort to drive his vessel insane, to actually caring for the boy, but not without getting a brutal beating from his wife for his stunt. The kid nodded, then swallowed the pill, letting sleep overcome him. **"This feeling-!"** \- Kuno was out for an errand, while Mamizou arrived just in time to feel a shift in the air along with her guests. **{Gaara!}**

* * *

Orochimaru cursed his luck, his arms could never heal before he changed bodies, thanks to that damned hellhound. Manda had been murdered by a band of Onis who decided to barge in on a whim when he tried to intimidate Tsunade into healing him. And there were the monsters. He desired to study them, but they were much more guarded now. Strong sensors, absolute heavy-hitters, fast means to travel. If he had been at his peak, he might be able to catch some by himself, but his troops were useless. The stubs taunted him, the gauze stained with blood a cursed reminder of his mortality, he had hurled profanities at Kerberos, promising to himself to use the dog as a guinea pig until it begged for the sweet release of death, that would never come.

The Hebi Sannin had sent one of his snakes to entice Sasuke into succumbing to his devilish temptation. The man needed to mold his next vessel as soon as possible, to make the Uchiha with the most potential subservient and loyal, to imbue the young heir with fanaticism towards the sage to the point of offering his own body. _"Kuku... those eyes... Itachi showed the heights the sharingan can reach..."_ He thought about who he could send to Konoha to fetch the Uchiha. _"Hm... they should suffice if the information about mission assignments is correct."_ He called for Kabuto and relayed his instructions. Once his subordinate went out and the room was empty, did he allow himself to crash on the bed.

* * *

Minato had been following Jiraiya's reports on the Red Dawn. The only confirmed units were Itachi and Kisame, as they had intruded the village while the young Namikaze was off in the Yuki nation and the little Uzumaki was in a convoy to Kaze, getting in a skirmish with some jōnin and adult yōkais, only to flee without further conflict. A scroll left by the rogue Uchiha had vital information, the nukenin were now moving to find all the Bijū for some nefarious purpose, and Konoha had two within its walls. _"At least they seem to be laying down, for some of the beasts went missing..."_ Yagura and Gaara were presumed dead, while Utakata was on the lam. For some reason, the leader of that group wanted to follow the numerical order.

Kumo was already moving against that group, seeing how the Raikage struck a deal with a certain espionage group, seeking to protect Bee and Yugito from this threat. The burly leader wouldn't keep his arms crossed and let criminals use his territory as their lawn. Besides that, the two Daiyōkai that hung out with the jinchūrikis of their spouses had ordered their kindred to keep the pair safe. Until the Ichibi was found, the Red Dawn would likely be doing recon infiltrations to figure out the capabilities of the jinchūrikis they would face in the future. Minato then thought about his bitter secret, Obito. _"Is this because of Rin? Are you still angry at the world for that?"_ The Namikaze couldn't keep this secret for long, his sons would face his former pupil in the future.

* * *

Karin was dedicating herself to her studies, for her master was a stickler for perfection. Every day she would train her calligraphy, practicing the creation of the prized magical circles, desiring to reach the same heights as Patchouli, who could bring the spells to life with nary a conscious thought thanks to her experience. She also diligently studied the seals recovered from Uzushio, intent on finding a way to apply them in the form of chakra writs, floating lines that aided with spellcasting. Patchouli had kept from studying the fūinjutsu in respect to her clan, but it didn't mean the woman couldn't guide the girl so she could succeed.

The young Uzumaki also forged a friendly relation with the little vampire heiress, having Naruto as their link. Katherine had such a lively disposition, Karin felt the same as with her little cousin while in range, that sunny mood could either perk you up or annoy you. She had made some observations about her progress, as she also dabbled in alchemical studies and chemistry. Although some of her attempts had to be put out by Koakuma's trusty extinguisher. _"She uses that thing so skillfully..."_ How many times did Patchouli herself fuck up an experiment? "Never ask that again, the number is so high that you might faint from the shock." That was quite... descriptive without saying too much.

Right now she was trying to make a simple potion that recovered one's stamina, the bad news was that this recipe was prone to explosions with a misstep, considering that some of the ingredients hinted at trigger-happy natures, such as 'nitro cherry' or 'mine-shroom'. _"It's easy to make, and easier still to make a stupid mistake..."_ This sensitive potion had the moniker of 'brow exterminator' and served to train people to exert the utmost care during preparation and concocting. _"Welp, I added one too many bombardier beetles."_ She resigned to her fate once she saw the violent bubbling, it was too late to run. - Koakuma looked at her fellow redhead plastered against the wall, who left a soot print once gravity pulled her down, putting away the red canister. "Will you try again?"

* * *

A white snake slithered into a window, coiling itself under a bed. Steps came into hearing range, a bifid tongue tasted the air to see if it was the right one. - Sasuke had been stewing in his feelings of inadequacy, for he was sure that all those people he had sought for guidance could give him the power to kill his brother, yet he was refused time and time again. In the meanwhile, his stupid teammate had opportunities falling on his lap to become stronger. _"Naruto, what do you have that I don't?"_ He thought of the seal on his neck, the whispered promises of unlocking his full potential... Scales scraping on wood made his pupils contract and his iris flash red, focusing on a white shape peeking from under his bed.

 _"Orochimaru..."_ Sasuke grabbed the reptile, seeing that it seemed to be attempting to regurgitate something. _"A message..."_ A smirk twisted his face, the chance to gain power had arrived. The Uchiha would be able to abandon this stifling place. Although he did feel bad for abandoning his remaining family and mother. _"No. I need to do this, to kill Itachi."_ The snake left during his musings and the message was turned to ashes after he memorized it. The door cracked open as a female glanced in. "My child, how was training today?" Onix orbs met. "Fine, but my sensei only does teamwork drills." Mikoto sat by his side, patting his head. "I'm sure he did that because he cares about your safety during missions." He let himself enjoy the contact. "Maybe."

A tiny part of him felt guilty for taking this resolution, but he steeled himself by affirming that it was for the sake of the Uchiha clan, his mother would have to accept his decision, for it was taken with her safety in mind. _"Those gossips... that man managed to hold off several jōnin without suffering injuries."_ He needed a lot of power, no matter the source, his brother was still growing in experience and skill, while Sasuke was kept stagnant. _"I will be the one to take your head, so don't you dare die at the hands of another person."_ His eyes got a pang of stabbing pain, his third tomoe was yearning to surface. His mark also throbbed, responding to his darkening will. _**"You, the true heir of Hagoromo, deserves everything the world has to offer!"**_

* * *

 **I made a decision, Naruto will become a yōkai. Which kind? That's for me to know and you to find out later. And reviews are valuable feedback for me to know if you like the story.  
**


	39. Chapter 37

**I decided to try this formatting at sasukesdoom's request, please tell me if it's better like this. By the way...** **Should I make a separate story for Shippuden, or do you prefer that I keep the whole story here? And I really thank you JustIn, I'm glad you like my story. Don't worry, Hinata and Kurama will get bigger roles soon.  
**

* * *

 _ **{Hmm...}**_ Pale eyes like frosty water peered over the products of research. Boneless flesh writhed behind the woman, who ignored the disgusting sounds it made. She had messed with the cell grafts and eyes kindly provided by Danzō, having noticed the peculiar chakras infusing them. **_{Ho... Foul and gentle, such contrasting natures...}_** She was acquaintanced with the Sharingan thanks to an old friend, that's why her progress with the orbs proceeded faster than the cells.

* * *

Another day to go through the grind of life. Menma rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his missions lately had been adding up to his fatigue. Add to that the fact he helped his brother train, that is, when Naruto wasn't with his team, or training his flight skills, or whisked away to the mansion by a certain butler. _"The Scarlets might be a good influence in his mentality."_

He stretched his limbs to shake off drowsiness, planning on spending quality time with his girlfriend while she was off duty. Hinata was tending to her garden, gingerly touching the silver leaves of the moon shrub gifted by Warashi, smiling at the memories of another place. Strong arms circled her waist as a familiar scent surrounded her. "Menma?" He nuzzled her hair, receiving a few pats to the head.

"I missed you, did the mission go well?" She nodded, telling him about the way her teammates ribbed at each other, using the 'girlfriend' card as ammo. "Shino-kun and Kiba-kun are really smitten with those two." He chuckled, recalling how the boys had come for advice, seeing him as their guru. "I am sure that things will work out."

Fū had adapted well to Konoha, as she had few bonds to Taki, although she did mourn for those she once cherished. She was influencing the Aburames into becoming slightly more open about themselves, taking a special shine to the heir. One could spot her fawning over Shino if they were lucky, with Shibi approving their budding relationship.

Momiji was the scion of a proud lineage of tiangou, sacred wolves with abilities similar to tengu and kitsune. Kiba would take on a huge responsibility if he were to keep courting her because her clan would test his mettle to see if his bloodline was of acceptable quality. "You know, my otouto wants to visit our homeland, do you wish to help me with this?"

Hinata simply nodded, leaning on him once they sat on the porch that overlooked the garden, admiring the koi pond. "You know, there are some people I want to meet there as well, my little sister is one of them." Menma quirked his brows at that, knowing well she didn't mean Hanabi. "She survived the sealing and became a variant of those magicians." Menma wondered if someone related to Tenko was still alive.

"That's good to know, she was always trying to find ways to help people reconcile." Hagoromo's first child with Yurie carried the ideal of integration and convivence, she also used to be the most active preacher towards yōkai and human harmony. "And did Mamizou fare well back then?" Hinata sighed sadly, her friend had hoped that Shukaku could see their child grow up.

* * *

Sakura was grumbling at her misfortune, Sasuke had gone elsewhere, making her stay with Naruto alone. She glared at the boy, who was making an order at a food stand. "You know, don't force yourself to stay here." The blond threw some ryō on the counter in exchange for dango. "Someone has to keep an eye on you, even more, when some people from Suna are coming in the next few days!"

He shrugged and walked towards a park, with the pinkette on tow. A sudden shadow made them look up, moments before a girl crash-landed on him. "Naruto~" The new arrival was hugging him from behind too closely for the Haruno's liking, and the fact he wasn't rejecting the attention annoyed her. _"It's the freaky-eyes from that day!"_

"Ah, Kate, it's nice to see you." Naruto was blushing a storm, her arms were around his neck and he could feel some of her... lady assets inherited from her mother. The vampire had a mischievous smile, knowing well what she was doing, for she learned this move from watching her parents. He had no idea of how to react, she was never this forward while in the mansion. Then he sweated, having seen Remilia practice with her beloved spear, Gungnir.

"Who is she, Naruto?" Sakura was frowning, this girl got on her nerves just by existing. "She's someone I met during my training trip." Naruto presented the females to each other, taking notice of the underlying hostility, although he couldn't figure what brought it forth. Sakura grunted in displeasure at Kate, who didn't drop her smile at the clear territoriality.

Kate cared little about that and just leaned closer to Naruto. "I heard from Karin that there's a place with good ramen, can you take me there?" Sakura got a pang of irritation, it was the exact request for a date that the boy aimed at her and her female insight made her see the intent this newcomer had in mind. The Haruno had the feeling that her dominion was being trespassed.

 _"CHA! How dare that bimbo‽ Trying to seduce him!"_ Kate felt the glare and showed Sakura a fanged smirk, her nature as a vampire made her enjoy taunting those she saw as enemies. "By the way, I want us to catch up on some things~" The voice had a hidden meaning, 'piss off, pinkette, it's just the two of us', with the pair of blondes walking away from a stiff Haruno.

Naruto felt slightly bad for ditching his teammate, but the feeling was quickly dispelled by the interest his companion displayed for him. "My team got to escort a real princess, but her uncle tried to ambush us." He told of his exploits at Yuki, enjoying the attention focused on him. It was nice to have someone be truly attentive towards your presence for yourself, not by duty or proxy.

During their walk to Ichiraku's, they spoke a lot about many things, with her telling of how his cousin was doing and him speaking about his missions and team. He felt antsy around her, for she was more touchy-feely than the norm in the village, having even linked her arm to his to take his hand, making their shoulders touch. _"Don't mind it, I'm sure it's common where she came from."_

 **"Yeah, yeah, su~re it's... NOT. Outside from some kinds of dance, it's done more by couples."** The jinchūriki could feel the teasing gaze from within the seal, the Kyūbi was surely smirking, enjoying his predicament. _"Then why is she doing this?"_ Kurama had a flat look, resisting the urge to facepalm. **"Okay... let me try to explain this nice and slow. *Ahem...* SHE'S INTERESTED IN YOU, DUMB ASS!"** To ensure he would get the message, Kurama created a mental figure of a megaphone, bellowing with all his lung capacity.

Katherine got curious when she felt him flinch as if someone had just screamed in his ear, but there was nobody close enough to do that. _"Crud, I even got ringing ears..."_ She didn't have the chance to ask, for they were about to arrive at the stand, the wafting scent of broth and spices making both of them drool. Naruto darted forward, tugging Kate along by her hand.

"Yo, oji-san, whip up some tonkatsu for me." Naruto moved the flap away, going in, followed closely by the girl. She read the plaques on the wall to see the flavors available. _"Uzumaki special?"_ When she asked for it, idly noting that it was quite expensive, Teuchi's and Ayame's jaws dropped in shock, even Naruto turned to stare at her in surprise. "What? I'm hungry." The owner eyed her frame, questioning if she could really eat that much. "Just don't put garlic, I'm allergic to it."

* * *

Minato frowned, the influx of A to S ranked missions was a good source of funds for the village, who needed it after the botched invasion, but his forces would end up burned out if it kept going for too long. There was also the group of envoys from Suna that would arrive in the next few days. He sighed, Rasa had to be put under a tight vigilance, the inter-village balance was too fragile to afford to lose another leader.

Taking things into account, Kumo and Iwa were the only places with jinchūrikis besides Konoha, so the power balance still existed to an extent. Kumo was busy with yōkais, same with Konoha, while Iwa seemed to be biding its time while making use of the Red Dawn. At least Ōnoki wasn't making reckless moves that would justify a retaliation from the other nations, as expected from a fence-sitter.

The Hokage mused about the nine figures on the other continent. He had demanded an explanation of yōkai politics from Warashi, and the answer had made him confused. Despite having been the one with most power, Hinata didn't manage the inner workings of the population, that was a task delegated to others whom she held in high regards. Those surely were strong enough to contend with most of the population under them.

 _"Still, that makes sense... It must be the reason those creatures managed to keep their tranquility."_ The delegates outnumbered the leaders by far, but their longevity enabled one to form a deep trust sturdier than a human could foster. Who knows, maybe some of the delegates were acquaintanced with Hinata since the age of the Rikudō. _"We humans don't fit within their tactics..."_

Just the tanukis and tengu, beings that lived for a few centuries, already made him become weary, how would he fare against millennia-old beings? He shook his head and turned his focus back to his paperwork. Yet he was unable to shake a lingering fear, and if the Red Dawn somehow provoked those figures to come and interfere in the Elemental Countries?

He was sure that the shitstorm would be even worse than all the three great wars summed. No... Just having the Bijū here was enough, the yōkai took down the Rikudō's barrier for the sake of their kin, having no interest in humans. Minato fiddled with the band on his arm, wondering about the number of ninjas under his care that could succumb to the temptation of monsterization.

* * *

Hiashi rubbed his temples at the sounds of arguing that arose every time a former Souke had a beef with the behavior from a former Bouke, it was like hearing spoiled brats bitch about losing a toy they loved to abuse. _"At this rate, I might just ask the Torture division to break them in."_ That haughtiness had to go, his clan was supposed to be honorable and respectable, goshdarnit. Somewhere out there, a man covered in scars and a woman munching on dangos suddenly smirked in a predatory manner.

* * *

 _"Where is that idiot?"_ Sasuke was walking through Konoha, intent on finding his teammate after stewing in his thoughts. _"I must find out how strong he became, what was denied to me and given to him..."_ He had seen how the blond seemed to stand straighter, moving gradually more like an experienced fighter and not some third-rate bar brawler.

His brother was out there, growing stronger, slipping out of Sasuke's reach. This was intolerable, the offer of the Hebi Sennin gnawed at his resistance, enticing his thirst for revenge. **_"Do you want the power to make your brother pay for his crimes? I can give it to you, and much more... Just come to me..."  
_** Sasuke gritted his teeth, his darkness begat the darkness in the seal.

He looked down the street, spotting his target getting out from Ichiraku, ignoring the female tagging along. _"You will show me your progress!"_ The Uchiha stomped towards the Namikaze, getting a curious look from his teammate. "I want to test your strength." Standing proudly before the couple, Sasuke glared at Naruto, not even caring about the annoyed growl coming from the other blonde.

Kate almost gagged at the thick miasma around the black-haired male, it left a foul taste in her mouth. It reminded her of some opponents the adults in her household had to face in the past. Before Naruto followed Sasuke, she made him promise to not let things escalate too far, but she still stuck around, the Uchiha made her wonder if there was blood about to be spilled.

The rivals were facing a rocky outcropping, intending to damage it with their best techniques. Sasuke charged up the Chidori while Naruto attempted the same attack he used to beat Suika. "Hn, let's go." The girl watching the scene wondered why guys liked to engage in cockfights even without a female around to woo, having seen male harpies in mating season.

"Orraaa!" The high-ranked attacks impacted the rocky wall, with Sasuke's creating several deep fissures that branched out from his fist like Lichtenberg figures, whereas Naruto's left a small hole with the perfect size to insert a baseball in. _"Pathetic, he's wasting the chances given to him."_ But the Namikaze didn't seem to be bothered, preparing to kick the spot he struck.

After the dust that sprang forth in a cloud, the kick revealed a somewhat spherical space in the boulder where an adult could stand in comfortably. "Wow, that looks like a strong technique!" The young vampire checked the damage, bolstering Naruto's ego, while Sasuke was left to stew in his dark emotions. "Now I really want a chance to spar with you, so watch out, okay?"

* * *

A group of people was camping in the woods, resting before they resumed the trip towards Konoha. "Please, remember one thing. This is a diplomatic mission, Suna is weakened due to the invasion attempt, so we need to make the Hokage see that we are intent on repaying our crimes." Temari ignored Baki, thinking about the rumors mentioning the one who fought her father.

 _"The descendant of the Ichibi..."_ She narrowed her eyes, reminiscing the boy her father had cursed to a life of misery. _"Gaara..."_ She could remember the foreigner who managed to make the redhead feel loved, wondering if Warashi had any information on her little brother. _"I want to know what happened to him... I don't care if that man asks for Suna's secrets as payment."_


End file.
